POST #5

Option #1: Discuss the concept of modernity in Caillebotte’s work. Do you think that Caillebotte’s paintings are a celebration and/or a critique of modern life? When writing your response, you may decide to discuss the theme of isolation in relation to modernity. Analyze at least one painting by Caillebotte (from our Challenge of the A-G chapter or lecture) that helps to support your discussion.

Modernity as defined by the online dictionary, means something that is modern, which I feel fit Caollebotte's work very well. He painted many things of Urban landscapes, as well as rural landscapes of modern life Paris. His paintings have been said to have connection with the Impressionists, which I can see in some works, because of the way he paints and leaves his hand on the paintings and the harsh incline of the ground. Although, unlike the Impressionists who seemed to celebrate life, and studied how the light fell onto their subject matter, I believe Caillebotte did more of a critique on modern life. He shows the more real, everyday things that were going on, and wasn't necessarily afraid of hiding every detail "horrid" or not. looking back at my Post #4 where I talk about how Impressionists were a "forgetful" art.

Le Pont de l’Europe

Jour de pluie a' Paris

One thing that I found interesting was a very subtle comparison of Jour de pluie a' Paris and his earlier painting of Le Pont de l’Europe. in which the main subject matter is of a man and a woman holding an umbrella, after paying close attention these people almost seem to be the same people in the other painting. But going along with this idea of isolation in relation to modernity, I can see it with both of these paintings, in both the paintings, there is NO connection between the subject matter people and everyone else around them. It is this feeling of loneliness, where no one is paying attention to any one or anything else besides themselves, except for the subject matter people which, even then though they are the closest people in the paintings, meaning they are walking together, no one else seems to be that close to another person.

Going along with the theme of isolation, I want to focus and discuss it with his work Le Pont de l'Europe. There's a dog walking into the painting on the bottom right, it seems to not have an owner, next to the dog there is a lone man. This man is slouched over a rail, contemplating something and doesn't seem very interesting at all. Then we see the man and the woman who seem to be enjoying each others company and going on a pleasant little stroll over the bridge. Then, just past the couple we see a few more men slouching over the rail, and what seems to be an old man taking a walk. Another thing that I find interesting about his painting is how the scenery around the people in the front is very detailed, then as you progress to the background it loses it's details but you can still make out what it is.

But moving into his later painting with the same couple in it, we see how the couple is still enjoying each others presence, and everyone else seems to be still isolated. could this be Caillebotte showing isolation in the modern life, or could this be him showing how life is more bearable in modern life with companion ship. I feel that it may be both, but more so the latter one, the only true way of knowing is to ask him personally.