Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
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 controversially left his collection to the French state, laying the foundation for what is now the heart of the Musée d’Orsay’s Impressionist collection.
Hear from 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.
This program is generously supported by the Mary Soleiman Lecture Fund.
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 controversially left his collection to the French state, laying the foundation for what is now the heart of the Musée d’Orsay’s Impressionist collection.
Hear from 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.
This program is generously supported by the Mary Soleiman Lecture Fund.
