The Floor Scrapers by Gustave Caillebotte

With The Floor Scrapers (1875), Gustave Caillebotte joined the Impressionist circle for the second exhibition. He participated in four subsequent exhibitions. His vision was adamantly modern, choosing subjects that preserved glimpses of Parisian life: interiors, views over the rooftops from balconies, strollers on the bridges and avenues, and even workmen finishing a fine wood floor in a new apartment.

The Floor Scrapers by Gustave Caillebotte is an oil on canvas (39-3/8 x 57-1/4 inches). It can be seen at Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Caillebottes sense of light is unmistakable -- even when the subject of his painting is a rainy day as in the Impressionist painting on the next page.

For more on Impressionist paintings, artists, and art history, see:

• Impressionism
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet