Self-Portrait at an Easel, c. 1879
Gustave Caillebotte. Private collection.
Before Gustave Caillebotte’s paintings were brought back into the story of Impressionism in the 1970s, he was better known as a collector than as an artist. His independent wealth afforded him a freedom from having to sell his work and offered needed support for his Impressionist friends struggling to make a living by purchasing their art.
Generosity was not his sole motivation, though. He also sought to shape the legacy of Impressionism by collecting art that he believed exemplified the movement. Upon his death, he left his collection to the French state, which was incredibly controversial at the time but now makes up the heart of the Musée d’Orsay’s Impressionist collection.
Join curatorial assistant Megan True for a talk exploring Caillebotte’s expansive collection of Impressionist art, the impact that it had on his work, and the scandal that followed its donation.
About the Speakers
Megan True is a curatorial assistant in the department of Painting and Sculpture of Europe at the Art Institute of Chicago. She earned degrees from Butler University and the George Washington University where she specialized in 19th-century French art. She has previously held positions at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and the Dallas Museum of Art.
If you have any questions about programming, please reach out to museum-programs@artic.edu.
Closed captioning will be available for this program. For questions related to accessibility accommodations, please email access@artic.edu.
