Man at the Window

Man at the Window (French: Jeune homme à sa fenêtre) is an 1876 oil on canvas painting by the French Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894), depicting the artist's brother René standing at a balcony window of the family home on the Rue de Miromesnil in Paris, looking out onto Boulevard Malesherbes ^[3]. The work is in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles ^[3].

Subject: René Caillebotte at the family window

The painting shows the artist's brother, René Caillebotte, wearing informal clothes and standing at a balcony ^[3]. He is positioned at a window of the family home in the Rue de Miromesnil, looking outward into Boulevard Malesherbes, the large, oblique cross-street visible in the background ^[3]. The composition measures 117 by 82 centimetres (46 in × 32 in) ^[3].

Iconography: the figure at the window in Romantic precedent

In its theme of a figure seen from behind at an open window, the composition has precedents in German Romanticism, a notable example being Caspar David Friedrich's Woman at the Window (1822) ^[3]. Other examples include Goethe at the Window (1787) by Johann Heinrich Tischbein and The Morning Hour (1857–1860) by Moritz von Schwind ^[3]. Caillebotte's painting differs from its German antecedents in that the man does not gaze upon nature, but rather looks out upon an urban scene ^[3].

The artist: patron and painter of urban Realism

Gustave Caillebotte (19 August 1848 – 21 February 1894) was a French painter who was a member and patron of the Impressionists, although he painted in a more realistic manner than many others in the group ^[1]. He was known for his early interest in photography as an art form ^[1]. Because of his family's wealth, he was a patron of many of his fellow Impressionists ^[1]. 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, known for qualities such as its mise-en-scène presentation ^[1].

Provenance and reception: the Getty acquisition

The painting is in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles ^[3]. Caillebotte did not have an international retrospective of his work until 1994, 100 years after his death ^[1]. In 2022, when France successfully attained possession of Boating Party, known for its close-up action perspective, through a National treasure of France declaration process, the country asserted the work's cultural importance ^[1].

Frequently asked questions

Who is the man depicted in Man at the Window?

The painting depicts the artist's brother, René Caillebotte, wearing informal clothes and standing at a balcony ^[3].

Where is Man at the Window located today?

The painting is in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles ^[3].

What are the dimensions of Man at the Window?

The oil on canvas painting measures 117 by 82 centimetres (46 in × 32 in) ^[3].