Landscape, Banks of the Yerres

"Landscape, Banks of the Yerres" is an oil painting on cardboard by the French artist Gustave Caillebotte, dated to 1878 and measuring 40 × 50 cm ^[3]. The work depicts the banks of the Yerres River, a locale near Paris where Caillebotte's family owned an estate, and it is today held in the Collection Rau for UNICEF ^[3]. Caillebotte, born in Paris on 19 August 1848, was a member and patron of the Impressionists, though he painted in a more realistic manner than many others in the group ^[1]. His early interest in photography as an art form informed his distinctive approach to composition and perspective ^[1].

The artist: patron and painter of the Impressionist circle

Caillebotte's family wealth allowed him to act as a patron to many of his fellow Impressionists, and upon his death his bequeathed collection of their works became the central collection of Impressionism for the French Republic, despite considerable controversy ^[1]. His most well-known work is Paris Street; Rainy Day, admired for qualities such as its mise-en-scène presentation; the Art Institute of Chicago acquired that painting in 1964, and his work drew more attention in the 1970s ^[1]. Although long regarded for his philanthropy and support as a patron and promoter of Impressionism, Caillebotte did not receive an international retrospective of his work until 1994, one hundred years after his death ^[1]. In 2022, France successfully attained possession of Boating Party, known for its close-up action perspective, through a National treasure of France declaration process ^[1].

Provenance and current holding: the Collection Rau for UNICEF

The reference catalogue entry for Landscape, Banks of the Yerres records its inception date as 1878 and its dimensions as 40 × 50 cm, placing it in the Collection Rau for UNICEF ^[3]. The work is executed in oil paint on cardboard, a support that Caillebotte used for smaller, more informal landscape studies ^[3]. The painting's subject — the banks of the Yerres — connects it to the rural environment outside Paris where the artist spent time at his family's property, a setting that appears throughout his landscape output ^[1].

Frequently asked questions

When was "Landscape, Banks of the Yerres" painted?

The reference catalogue dates the work to 1878, with an inception date of 1 January 1878 ^[3]. This places it within the period of Caillebotte's most active engagement with the Impressionist exhibitions and his fellow artists ^[1].

What materials were used for this painting?

The work was painted in oil paint on cardboard, a lightweight and portable support that suited plein-air landscape studies ^[3]. This differs from the larger canvas works for which Caillebotte is best known, such as Paris Street; Rainy Day ^[1].

Where is "Landscape, Banks of the Yerres" held today?

The painting is part of the Collection Rau for UNICEF, as recorded in the reference catalogue ^[3]. The collection was assembled by the German surgeon Gustav Rau and is administered for the benefit of UNICEF's children's programs ^[3].

How does this work relate to Caillebotte's better-known paintings?

Unlike the large urban scenes for which Caillebotte gained recognition in the twentieth century, such as Paris Street; Rainy Day and Boating Party, this landscape is a smaller, more intimate study of a rural subject ^[1]. It reflects the artist's broader interest in the Yerres region, where his family owned property, and his tendency to paint in a more realistic manner than many of his Impressionist contemporaries ^[1].