Paris Street; Rainy Day

1877

Oil on canvas, 83 1/2 × 108 3/4 in. The Art Institute of Chicago

Gustave Caillebotte (French, 1848–1894). Look at the deep space: a new Paris street runs far back, with figures close up at the front.

Look at

Building edges and paving stones run back to distant points, so the space feels deep.
A green lamppost splits the canvas into two halves.
The couple at the right is close and large; people across the square are tiny.
The paint is smooth and finely blended, like the finish taught in art schools.

It was the centerpiece of the group's 1877 exhibition, which Caillebotte did much to organize.