Villas at Trouville

Gustave Caillebotte was a leading figure of the Impressionist movement, however his approach to painting at times retained a Realist aesthetic and in certain qualities predated the painterly experimentation of the Post-Impressionists. Influenced by the contemporary advent and rise of photography, Caillebotte produced innovative compositions that presented snapshots of everyday life, with cropped figures and expanded perspectives. His interest in Japanese prints led him to experiment with flattened forms and tilted vantage points, which pushed forward the avant-garde aesthetic. His paintings serve as Impressionist documents of the broadened boulevards and open views of Paris after the Haussmannization project completed in 1870.

Paris, France