In 2017, the reopening of the Maison Caillebotte in Yerres was the talk of the town: and with good reason, it took some twenty years of renovation work before the house reopened its doors This artist's house now welcomes the public all year round to discoverGustave Caillebotte's studio the dining room and the master bedroom of the painter's parents The tour takes you into the intimate world of the Caillebotte family: Célestre Daufresne and Martial Caillebotte It's an opportunity to discover this typical 19th-century building where the famous Impressionist painter lived from 1860 to 1879 and painted some 580 pictures and drawings immaculate Palladian columns on the front of the house can be seen from the Parc Caillebotte they are characteristic of the building and overlook the park from the master bedroom The Maison Caillebotte is open all year round Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here Sainte Fare Garnot is the research adviser on the restoration of the main house, the Casin, which was built in the Parisian suburb of Yerres in the 1830s. It is where the painter’s family lived between 1860 and 1879 and where Caillebotte created 24 works, the majority of which depict the house and surrounding park. The Casin is due to open to the public in June. Now that the park has its charm back, Yerres is thinking internationally. Given the Maison des Illustres label by the French ministry of culture in 2012, which recognises places that French “illustrious” figures have lived, the property signed a Destination Impressionisme contract in 2014 to promote the site alongside the nearby communes of Giverny and Orsay. “We are close to Paris—we can bring in a million visitors,” Dupont-Aignan says. In the summer, the Casin will open permanently to “provide a look at a certain lifestyle during the Restoration period” and to chart the “history of the Caillebotte family in this place”, Sainte-Fare Garnot says. news23 August 2019Art Gallery of Ontario acquires a Caillebotte after long legal struggleA government grant for works of importance helps to block departure of the painting from the country news20 May 2019Eileen Gray’s and Le Corbusier’s architectural gems reopen after extensive restoration A Modernist villa and hut in the south of France feature wall paintings by Le Corbusier news17 November 2021‘We had to give it our best shot’: inside the Getty’s record-setting Caillebotte acquisitionThe Los Angeles museum’s first Caillebotte fills a major gap in its telling of the history of Impressionism Every year,AGEVP (Association Générale des Étudiants Vietnamiens de Paris) organizes its Vietnamese New Year Festival - Têt. Like the Chinese New Year the Vietnamese celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Wood Snake in 2025 This year's event takes place on Sunday February 16, 2025. This edition will not take place at the Opéra de Massy, but at the Théâtre de Yerres the association invites you to come and enjoy a wonderful day full of discoveries now's the time to feast with the community Don't forget to reserve your seats before February 9 to take advantage of our special rates And for more great deals, check out the Lunar and Chinese New Year in Paris guide Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Get tickets Shop Exhibitions/PastGustave Caillebotte: Impressionist Paintings from Paris to the SeaMarch 27–July 5, 20091 Gustave Caillebotte: Impressionist Paintings from Paris to the Sea is organized by the Brooklyn Museum, Ordrupgaard, Copenhagen, and Kunsthalle Bremen. The exhibition is curated by Judith F. Dolkart, Brooklyn Museum, Dorothee Hansen, Kunsthalle Bremen, and Anne-Birgitte Fonsmark and Gry Hedin, Ordrupgaard. The Brooklyn presentation is made possible by generous support from the Robert Lehman Foundation, the Brooklyn Museum’s Barbara and Richard Debs Exhibition Fund, and Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Exhibition Fund. The Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities has granted an indemnity for this project. “My Eye.” Thomas Hoving discusses the Caillebotte exhibition with curator Judith F. Dolkart. Video courtesy of Artnet 200 Eastern ParkwayBrooklyn, New York 11238-6052718.638.5000Contact usClosed Click here for a PDF version of this edition of Here’s My Story, or visit the My Encounter Blog Our family arrived from Russia to France in 1947 I loved life in Crown Heights and attending school there each day The highlight of every week was attending synagogue on Shabbat and when there was a farbrengen with the Rebbe I and other girls my age would stay for the duration While we may not have understood everything my mother very much wanted me to visit her parents my father was not excited about the prospect of a 17-year-old girl traveling so far away on her own So we consulted the Rebbe and he gave me his blessing for the trip on the condition that it included a stint at the Chabad girls’ school in Yerres My trip to France ended up being transformational I quickly came to realize that I was living as quite a privileged American girl but some of the girls in Yerres were the children of Holocaust survivors with so much pain and suffering in their lives – and still they were smiling They taught me what was truly important in life and they helped me gain a broader perspective there was an event for women held in 770 where I had the opportunity to speak with the Rebbe “I want to thank the Rebbe for recommending that I spend time in Yerres,” I said “I benefited so much from the experience.” The Rebbe smiled his amazing smile and replied “I’m sure that they benefited from you as well.” “I would like to ask the Rebbe for a blessing for my grandfather “And what is his mother’s name?” the Rebbe inquired “Her name was Rivka Dina; the same as your mother’s name.” The fact that he knew my family so well gave me a sense of having a very personal connection with him I was married and teaching in Crown Heights while my husband studied Torah full time We had hoped to continue this arrangement but the Rebbe told us to start looking for a position in the field of Jewish outreach – as his emissaries and several such opportunities were proposed to us We prepared to present them to the Rebbe at our next private audience was twenty-two at the time and I was twenty years old and we were facing a monumental decision: Where would we be spending the rest of our lives we just have to listen and accept what he says we stopped at my parents’ home and I confided to my mother “What’s there to be nervous about?” she reassured me “You’re going to the Rebbe; he is a Rebbe but he’s also a father If you feel that you need to express yourself I was getting mixed messages but decided to listen to my husband We entered the Rebbe’s room and put our note down on his desk He directed us to go to Miami Beach: My husband would serve as the principal of the local Chabad school and I would be a teacher Miami is a bastion of thriving Jewish life but back then it seemed like a spiritual vacuum but I don’t know if I’ll be able to live up to the task of representing the Rebbe And it’s going to be hard for me to leave my family My husband was probably none too happy with my little outburst The Rebbe sat up straight in his chair and outstretched his hand “I am going along with you,” he declared with an expansive gesture His smile lit up the room and lit up our lives The Rebbe’s words became a motto that we kept in our minds and hearts from then on: Hearing that the Rebbe would be with us and that he believed in us was so uplifting There was no longer any question whether we’d be successful and shortly after began cultivating a community around the school we were approached about a project in nearby Bal Harbour There wasn’t any visible Jewish life there at the time Sam Greenberg began planning a large building in the area the Rebbe had advised him that he would need a synagogue too and the Rebbe gave his blessings for success By then we had two young children and Bal Harbour was predominantly a retirement community with beautiful beaches Who needs you here?” people would yell at us in the street “We can’t play with you,” our children would hear and a great team of fellow Chabad emissaries our community continues to grow exponentially Since the Rebbe was never satisfied with the status quo We keep on striving to accomplish our mission and to impart a sense of Jewish pride to every Jew in our zip code Despite the pitfalls and challenges – when it came to supporting ourselves We knew that we had the Rebbe’s promise: “I am going along with you Chani Lipskar has served as a Chabad emissary in Miami since 1969 She was interviewed in her home in October of 2021 Rabbi Baruch Ouaknine, a member of the Chabad community in Yerres, France who owned the only Kosher supermarket in Brunoy, passed away on Shabbos. Full Story a member of the Chabad community in Yerres Rabbi Ouaknine was a respected member of the community and was the proprietor of the only Kosher supermarket serving the Jewish residents and the hundreds of students in the Chabad Yeshiva of Brunoy He passed away after battling the coronavirus Sign up for the COLlive Daily News Roundup and never miss a story Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) ShareMonet, Morisot, Renoir and the birth of ImpressionismSuperb early works that helped to define a movement, as well as shape the enduring legacies of Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, are to be offered in our Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale in London on 28 February an exhibition opened at a photographer’s former studio on the Boulevard des Capucines on Paris’s fashionable Right Bank Organised by a group of artists who called themselves the Anonymous Society of Painters it showed the radical work of Claude Monet at the time hardly known within the Paris art world as well as the critics and public who came to visit the exhibition it would have been impossible to fathom just how important it was launched a movement that would alter the course of art for ever the Impressionists painted with a never-before-seen spontaneity and rapidity leaving their brushstrokes visible as they sought to capture the ephemeral effects of light Often painting within the landscape itself — en plein air — they captured a direct and instinctive response to their subjects leaving behind the studied techniques and often-meticulous mimesis of the work of their artistic predecessors Painted in the immediate aftermath of the groundbreaking First Impressionist Exhibition Monet’s Les Bords de la Seine au Petit-Gennevilliers focuses on the idyllic Parisian suburb of Petit-Gennevilliers on the opposite bank of the Seine to the artist’s adopted home in Argenteuil This area quickly became synonymous with the birth of Impressionism during a period of financial success and personal stability for the artist that Monet consolidated the formal vocabulary which would come to define the movement Working alongside Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Édouard Manet Monet produced a string of plein-air  masterpieces over the course of the summer of 1874 works which capture the enchanting atmosphere of life in Argenteuil and demonstrate the growing sense of  immediacy that was developing in Monet’s art Focusing on the play of light and the fleeting ephemeral movement of the sky and the river Les Bords de la Seine au Petit-Gennevilliers is filled with swift loose brushstrokes that convey a sense of the speed with which the artist rendered the scene. Monet chooses a viewpoint looking upstream away from the smoke stacks of the nearby factories that bordered the town He was able to achieve this perspective by venturing onto the water itself having invested funds from his recent sales to the pioneering Impressionist dealer Paul Durand-Ruel in the construction of a floating studio earlier that year the fast-flowing river becomes a central protagonist in the composition its gentle ripples and reflections captured by the artist in a series of short brushstrokes which stand independently from one another as he seeks to record the ephemeral effects of light touching water Monet’s gift for portraying the movement and transparency of water is equally evident in Saules au Bord de l’Yerres (1876) which eloquently captures an impression of the lush idyllic atmosphere on the river Yerres which had so enchanted the artist during his stay in the small quiet hamlet of Montgeron during the second half of 1876. The interplay between light and shadow perfectly illustrates the deftness of Monet’s technique and compositional structuring as he reached a new maturity in his Impressionist style.  Monet had travelled to Montgeron at the invitation of his friend and patron who had commissioned the artist to paint a series of large-scale works to decorate the dining room of his country residence The artist spent six months ensconced in the château’s sumptuous accommodations studying its landscape under different atmospheric effects and exploring the banks of the nearby river Yerres.  the artist produced four canvases for the château Alongside this central quartet Monet created a number of other paintings including Saules au Bord de l’Yerres Shortly after its creation the painting was purchased from the artist by another of his important supporters at this time the prodigious collector Georges de Bellio.  many of the early Impressionists rendered evocative visions of life in the rapidly modernising capital. Works such as Berthe Morisot’s Femme en Noir (1875) and Renoir’s Femme en Chapeau (1881) transport us to the streets of Third Republic Paris In Morisot’s Femme et Enfant au Balcon (1872) we become a third protagonist in the scene itself standing alongside the woman and young girl as they gaze out over the shimmering panoramic vision of the city spread before them.   Berthe Morisot was a founding member of the Impressionist group and exhibited with them in all but one of the group exhibitions between 1874 and 1886 Femme et Enfant au Balcon  is one of the most acclaimed works of her career encapsulating many of the themes and characteristics that define the artist’s distinct form of Impressionism The painting dates from a turning point in Morisot’s early career After being trained at home alongside her sister Edma her professional career as an artist had begun in 1864 when she exhibited at the Salon for the first time Gradually the Morisot sisters became a part of the avant-garde art world of Paris Fantin-Latour and Puvis de Chavannes at various evening soirées Berthe Morisot became more committed than ever to pursuing a career as an artist.  In the summer of 1871 Morisot’s painting began to flourish her brushstrokes became looser and her compositions flooded with light and delicate colour Exemplifying the artist’s nascent Impressionist style painted the following year, displays a combination of spontaneous softly feathered brushwork and areas of fine In 1867 Morisot had met Edouard Manet at the Louvre. Intrigued by her intense gaze and captivated by her striking beauty, Manet asked her to pose for him, using her as a model for one of the figures in Le Balcon of 1868-69 (Musée d’Orsay, Paris) the first of many works in which she would feature Manet played a vital role in Morisot’s early career providing encouragement in moments of uncertainty as she forged an independent identity as an artist Both artists respected and admired each other’s work influencing and inspiring one another both stylistically and thematically at different points Fashion played an important role in Morisot’s art and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in Femme en Noir — painted in 1875 a year before the Second Impressionist exhibition — depicting an elegant and beautifully attired young woman making her way to the theatre. Also known as Avant le Théâtre, the painting is one of the only full-length portraits in Berthe Morisot’s oeuvre and is undoubtedly one of the finest works of her career With delicate brushstrokes that capture the gentle fall of light upon the model’s face and shoulders as well as the texture of the black silk fabric of her dress the painting demonstrates Morisot’s ability to imbue her painting with a luminescence that distinguishes her from her Impressionist peers One of the most celebrated and prolific portraitists of Impressionism Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted the wealthy elite of Paris as well as his family such as the fashionable young woman in Femme au Chapeau (1881) this painting not only demonstrates Renoir’s innate skill at capturing the female form but also encapsulates his novel form of Impressionist portraiture The portrait dates from a moment of transition in Renoir’s career dealer Paul Durand-Ruel began to buy Renoir’s work which enabled the artist to enjoy a certain level of financial security As a result he was able to travel abroad for the first time and in the spring of that year he set off for North Africa following in the footsteps of the Romantic artist Renoir made an artistic pilgrimage to Italy where he fell under the spell of the Renaissance masters These trips irrevocably changed Renoir’s artistic approach On his return to Paris he began to paint with a greater sense of firmness and stability increasingly shunning the spontaneity and rapidity of execution that characterised his earlier Impressionist works Painted in the midst of this important stylistic shift Femme au Chapeau  embodies this new direction the Impressionists reconfigured the conventions of painting paving the way for artists of the 20th century. Shunning realism and illusionism creating works that remain today as vivid as when they were first painted over a century ago.  In new book Destination Art: 500 Artworks Worth the Trip Phaidon editors confront readers with the question: ‘Why do we travel for art?’ Inspired by the success of 2017’s Destination Architecture this new guide to the wonders of the art world divides the planet into seven regions: Australasia Featured artworks are grouped geographically and the message championed throughout is one of exploration and enrichment As explained in the book’s somewhat poetic introduction the origins of travel lie in pilgrimage and Artists celebrated in the book include Marina Abramović Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein designed House lll as an optical illusion The sculpture was one of his last works and was inspired by the large-scale paintings of domestic interiors he produced during the 1990s Lichtenstein was fascinated by perspective the aluminium structure appears strangely proportioned – the unmistakable form of a house is only visible from a certain angle Covering an incredible 1,610 square metres in Périgny-sur-Yerres monumental installation evokes the isolation of a secluded escape The Closerie – the outermost section of the work – commands a feeling of containment reminiscent of a walled garden a structure that houses the Cabinet Logologique visitors are confronted by graffiti-like work in red Picasso’s Le Déjeuner sur L’Herbe – which translates as “luncheon on the grass” – is a reinterpretation of Édouard Manet’s 1863 painting of the same name only the men are clothed and the women are nude while in Picasso’s sculptural installation both parties are in a state of complete undress sketchy style that is synonymous with the Spanish artist is contrasted by the weight and durability of the concrete effigies at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Leandro Erlich’s Swimming Pool challenges our skills of perception with a breathtaking optical illusion Visitors looking into the pool might be surprised to see others walking beneath the surface of the water the water is only four inches deep and held between two glass sheets Erlich’s mind-bending pool sits alongside an engaging collection of site-specific installations at the museum Argentina’s James Turrell Museum is the first dedicated to the artist and his groundbreaking work with light Displayed throughout nine purpose-built rooms a large version of his enchanting skyspaces are able to observe the sky’s shifting colours through a large aperture in the roof with both natural and artificial light mingling to create a hypnotic spectacle Friend of Henry Moore and fellow Yorkshire native Barbara Hepworth split her lifetime between the north and south of England Nestled among the beautiful streets of St Ives the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden forms part of the prolific artist’s former home and studio The site is now a celebrated museum of her work and a must-visit destination for lovers of abstract sculpture Eduardo Paolozzi’s much-loved works boast a strong sense of self and an undeniable aesthetic presence The artist’s work can be found across the globe including the incredible mosaic pieces salvaged from the recently renovated Tottenham Court Road tube station but his work in Santa Cruz is in fact an homage to Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and his hexagonal tile design Millennial Time Machine: A Landau Carriage Converted to a Mobile Camera Obscura Artist Rodney Graham once described this piece of work as “a kind of time machine in which the spectators Just one part of Vancouver’s thriving art scene Graham’s striking installation saw him transform a 19th-century carriage into a camera obscura viewers can see the camera’s upside-down image of a sequoia tree that stands behind them In elegant juxtaposition to its overgrown surroundings Federica Marangoni’s Rainbow Crash sees the artist fuse coloured Murano glass and neon at Chianti Sculpture Park the rainbow crashes to the ground in the form of glass shards an overt reference to the fragility of nature explored throughout the sprawling location Located only a few miles from the artist’s birthplace Reclining Woman: Elbow sits atop an easily accessible plinth guarding the entrance to Leeds Art Gallery and neighbouring the Henry Moore Institute lounging woman was installed by Moore himself in 1982 and forms part of a citywide art trail as well as the impressive Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle Destination Art: 500 Artworks Worth the Trip is out now Binyamin Loeb, a Lubavitcher who served in the Israel Defence Forces, was one of the people killed in the Hamas war on Israel on Simchas Torah. His father and grandfather serve as Chabad rabbis in France. Full Story Binyamin Loeb, a Lubavitcher who served in the Israel Defence Forces, was one of the people killed in the Hamas war on Israel on Simchas Torah. His father and grandfather serve as Chabad rabbis in France. Full Story a young Lubavitcher chossid who made aliya to the holy land of Israel and served in its army Loeb is the son of Rabbi Nethanael and Judith Loeb who live in Yerres Both his father and grandfather are members of Rabbinat Loubavitch de France (Vaad Rabbonei Lubavitch of France) Binyomin Loeb immigrated to Israel as a lone soldier (chayal boded) when he enlisted in the Israel Defence Forces He joined the Paratroopers 202nd Battalion part of the Arrow Company which is comprised of frum soldiers combining faith and service Friends reported that Loeb was killed on the Gaza border battling Hamas terror troops who infiltrated Israel on Shabbos Shmini Atzeres the day has been called the bloodiest in Israel’s history an IDF soldier and volunteer with United Hatzalah He wrote that Leob “was a fighter in my company who fell in defense of the south He fought to be a warrior and protect his people and country.” הַמָּקוֹם יְנַחֵם אֶתְכֶם בְּתוֹךְ שְׁאָר אֲבֵלֵי צִיּוֹן וִירוּשָׁלַיִם for your son who sacrificed his life ‘al kiddish Hashem.’ So sorry about the loss of this dear young son Our hearts are with the family at this difficult time https://www.allodons.fr/Binyamin-Loeb release all the captured and send us Moshiach Im so so very sorry 💔 Hashem should comfort you After going to the Mikvah on Erev Yom Kippur, long-time principal of Beth Rivkah of France Rabbi Ori Shonthal went home, lay down on his bed and passed away. Full Story long-time Director of Ecole Primaire Beth Rivkah The tragic news came as the Jewish community in the city of Yerres were in their final preparations for the holiest Jewish day of the year Rabbi Shonthal went to the Mikvah and upon coming back home went to his bed and lay down and passed away Students of Beth Rivkah received the news in shock as just that week “It’s hard for me to speak about him in the past tense,” F.B. “He treated each student with personal care and worried for our gashmius and ruchnius Although he taught many throughout the years We all felt as if he was our father.” She added that “whenever we went into his office he was learning with a sefer.” Rabbi Ori Yehuda Yosef Shonthal was a known talmid chacham The former student added that the principal “was very stringent on our tznius and midos but was very understanding of the soul of each one.” I was privileged to be his student for 2 years.He was as wise in secular matters as he was in Jewish ones..So easy to talk to,always had good advice,great sense of humor,available to talk to when ever needed.Treated everyone with understanding for their individual concerns and spoke to everyone on their own unique level If not for him Im sure many girls who attented seminary may not have because he eccepted many girls that probably would not have been eccepted elsewhere I am trully shocked & saddened by his passing.He was a towering man,a gentle giant,both physically and emotionally.He seemed… Read more » i remeber as a child he would come to the 7.00 minon and have a Shiur with some one i think he came close to chabad later on in life started to learn Chsidus and then moved his kids to chabad and moved to become the B.R princable in france my sister went there and she would say how his house was next to the Sem and was part of the Sem any 1 at any time would go for his help etc I was saddened and pained to hear of the passing of my wonderful principal Rav Schontal Rav Schonthal was a giant of a man yet so humble After graduating I called him at his home on several occasions to discuss things with him like a granddaughter asking advice of her grandfather Rav Schontal was so down to earth yet he had expectations of his students and expected us to deliver His lessons and teachings will always be a part of me My deepest condolences to Mrs Schontal and the Rav’s children hamokom yenachem eschem betoch avelei tsiyon Our family lived around the corner form the Schontals for many years and we had the Zechus of having Rabbi Schnotal give a Shiur at our home each Shabbos afternoon to all women from various Jewish backgrounds Mendy Solomon (on behalf of all the Solomon’s) i was with you for nearly 4 years of my life at an early age from 16 till 19years old when you made my shidduch 27years ago you were my mentor/father/friend and my heart ache to know that i will not see you again you treated me and all girls as your only child and within my time at Beis Rivka you were always there for me when i needed something or just needed to talk You guide me in my future in which direction to go You will always have a special place in our heart… Read more » My Daughter was at the levoya in Israel she mentiond to me how there was around 200 people and the fact that one man a bossor v’dom could bring people from all walks of life together Please H’K’B’H bring moshiach now we must put presure on botie din around the world to demand moshiach to come now now now I was with you my 2 years in seminary and you were my mentor I cried and sobbed bitterly today; my heart is in agony I realize that I have to accept your passing but only if you daven for all of klal Yisroel in Shomayim please beseach Hashem to send Moshiach son we can have you back with us along with the rest of the yidden who have yet to return to their loved ones The pain is unbearable.… Read more » i dont know who this is but this story is touching Sad news…he was a tzadik…first cousin with rabbi lau .over a thousand people present at his levy. Knew him very well whilst he lived in London very knowledgeable on all matters and a good sense of humour Shocked to hear the news of his passing so soon in life He was a very good teacher and was not given the possibility to teach in London Chabas mosdos therefore he took his wonderful talents abroad where they were finally were acknowledged in Bais Rivkah May Hashem give all the family and friends the strength to overcome their loss was actually exclusively responsible of the seminary He was a very nice person i spent many days in his home What an exceptional person.He genuinely cared for every pupil.A true talmid chochom.May his family be comforted at this sad time but knowing how many lives he affected for the good May Hashem comfort his wife nad family and give them the strength to overcome this tragic passing Hashem Eilokeinu v’Eilokei avoiseinu she hashonah hazeh lo yihiyeh Tzaddik echod niftar mei haoilom hazeh Viyishlach bracho v’hatzlocho v’moshiach tzidkeinu bimheyrah viyomeinu omain seloh The L'Chaim of Menachem Schmerling of Far Rockaway, NY and Zelda Wilhelm of Yerres, France took place at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights. Photos EmailPierre-Auguste Renoir "Oarsmen at Chatou." (From "Impressionists on the Water" at the Peabody Essex Museum)A couple dressed in what you might call their Sunday-outing best stand on the grassy bank of the shimmering Seine River in “Oarsmen at Chatou,” which the Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted in the later 1870s and is now on view at Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum Probably day-trippers who’d come by the short train ride from Paris the man and woman wait to be paddled about in a long elegant wooden gig summer holiday—and a glimpse into the dawn of suburbia and a new sense of leisure Gustave Caillebotte, "Boating on the Yerres." (From "Impressionists on the Water" at the Peabody Essex Museum)Previous French painting had focused on myth and faith, history and aristocrats. The Impressionists were part of and depicted an ascendant middle class—an outgrowth of the 18th century French Revolution followed by the 19th century Industrial Revolution. The new factories fostered the development of French railways in the 1840s, which sparked new tourism to what had been picturesque fishing villages along the country’s northwest coast as well as daytrips to Paris’s suburbs like Chatou. These popular, new, free-time pleasures became a central subject for the Impressionists’ colorful flavor of realism—people relaxing in parks and gardens, along rivers, at beaches, and in the lamplight of theaters. They depict the suburbs, as a place, but also as a state of mind—pastoral oases away from work. These are notions we still deeply identify with, which is part of what makes Impressionism continue to feel so alluringly comfortable. We love the Impressionists’ modern sense of time off. Claude Monet's 1875 painting "Boulevard Saint-Denis, Argenteuil, in Winter." (From “Boston Loves Impressionism" at the Museum of Fine Arts)Advantages Of A Suburb Claude Monet, "Regatta At Argenteuil." (From "Impressionists on the Water" at the Peabody Essex Museum)Monet moved to Argenteuil at the end of 1871 and lived there until 1878, making some 150 paintings of the place. Alfred Sisley came out to visit in 1872, painting boats, wheat fields, bridges over the river. Sometimes the two men painted side by side. Renoir frequently visited from his home in Paris and painted in Monet’s garden and with Monet along the river. Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas and Paul Cezanne also came. Monet made the acquaintance of Gustave Caillebotte, an engineer and sometimes painter, who had a summer place across the river at Petit-Gennevilliers. They both painted regattas there. Edouard Manet stayed with Caillebotte during one visit. Caillebotte and Renoir sailed the Seine together. Gustave Caillebotte, "Règates à Argenteuil." (From "Impressionists on the Water" at the Peabody Essex Museum)New Freedoms Argenteuil stands along the north bank of the Seine, just downriver from Chatou and about 11 miles northwest of Paris, which became just a 15-minute ride after the railway arrived in 1851. The train tracks brought new residents and industry. This boom is not apparent in the Impressionist paintings, which idealize the surrounding rural countryside and poppy fields or the river busy with day-trippers. These visitors arrived because the railroad also helped turn the suburb into “the center of sailing for the whole of France,” as curator Christopher Lloyd notes in the “Impressionists on the Water” catalog, and a playground for Paris’s middle class. But direct your attention the factory chimneys smoking along horizon, a frequent sight in Impressionist paintings. They’re a sign of how closely and comfortably industry and the suburbs mingled. (Though pollution from a nearby rubber factory killed off local fish by 1869, Clark reports.) But these chimneys are also a symbol of how industry and work were the backdrop—figuratively and literally—for the new French leisure. Camille Pissarro’s 1902 canvas “Harbor at Dieppe." (From "Impressionists on the Water" at the Peabody Essex Museum)Life Of Leisure “Impressionists on the Water” endeavors to situate Impressionism in the history of French maritime painting, which traditionally portrayed fishing boats, cargo ships, military vessels and other working craft. At the Peabody Essex Museum, Camille Pissarro’s 1902 canvas “Harbor at Dieppe” shows people at France’s northwest coast lined up next to what appears to be a ferry. It’s one of the few working vessels depicted by Impressionists in the exhibition. Instead the artists came to focus mainly on sailboats, rowing skiffs and other leisure craft. This transition in subjects from work to leisure is evident in the career of Monet, who often seems to represent all of Impressionism to us today. (Pissarro, on the other hand, maintained an attention to ordinary workers throughout his career as part of his belief in a non-hierarchical, collectivist Anarchism.) In the first half of Monet’s life, he painted knockabout fishing boats, steamers, coal barges. At Argenteuil, he shifted to the sailboats that glided along the Seine on weekends. And consider his famous series of haystacks from 1890 and ’91. These piles of wheat are icons of agricultural work, but Monet's fields are absent of people. This is the radiant, peaceable kingdom of the life of leisure. Georges Seurat’s 1886 painting “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.” PRNewsFoto/Art Institute of Chicago)Not A Haven For The Elite Edgar Degas's 1881 sculpture "Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer." (From “Boston Loves Impressionism" at the Museum of Fine Arts)Ballet had originated as European royal and aristocrat court dance—performed by the nobles and monarchs themselves. King Louis XIV, the “Sun King” of France, played Apollo in a ballet when he was 15. In the late 1600s, ballet transformed from a participatory dance to a dance that was performed by professionals and watched by others. On July 12, 1789, an angry crowd invaded the Paris Opera, the hub of French theater and ballet. They threatened to burn the building down, but settled for making off with all the theatrical props resembling weapons. It was the beginning of the French Revolution—the storming of the Bastille prison was two days away—and the Opera still symbolized all the exclusive aristocratic privilege that the revolutionaries aimed to overturn. Jennifer Homans writes in her 2010 book “Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet” that leading artists tried to preserve the institution, professing “the Opera should never again be a haven for the elite: it should also serve ‘the poorest class of decent citizens,’ people, as they put it, ‘without carriage.’” After the Revolution, a variety of middle class, popular entertainments flourished around Paris—the Paris Opera and ballet, music halls, café concerts, circuses, dances. Part of the allure was their modern, dramatic use of light—the Paris Opera added gas lighting as early 1822. All this became subjects for Impressionists Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt. Mary Cassatt’s 1878 painting “In the Loge." (From “Boston Loves Impressionism" at the Museum of Fine Arts)At the Museum of Fine Arts Cassatt’s 1878 painting “In the Loge” depicts a woman attending an afternoon performance at Paris’s Comedie Français theater See where she’s looking with her opera glasses but level toward other members of the audience a man in another box trains his opera glasses on her It’s about people watching and being watched But also—in its subject and in Cassatt’s very career—an image of new roles for women we have greater gender and racial equality sleek technologies mean more virtual time at the office The lifestyle the Impressionists paint still feels familiar It’s with nostalgia that we gaze back upon their oases of free time Follow Greg Cook on Twitter @AestheticResear. Claude Monet's 1897 painting "Morning on the Seine, near Giverny." (From “Boston Loves Impressionism" at the Museum of Fine Arts)This article was originally published on February 13, 2014. Greg Cook Arts ReporterGreg Cook was an arts reporter and critic for WBUR's The ARTery The Musée d'Orsay welcomes the work of Gustave Caillebotte the Impressionist painter with a passion for masculinity Discover Painting Men and don't miss an exceptional Curieuse nocturne on Thursday December 5 To coincide with the 130th anniversary of Gustave Caillebotte’s death the Musée d’Orsay is devoting an exhibition to the painter until January 19 Peindre les hommes focuses on the place of male figures at the heart of the Impressionist artist ‘s work Would you like some more Impressionism? After the Paris 1874 Inventing Impressionism exhibition , which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the artistic movement the Musée d’Orsay is offering another event dedicated to one of its great personalities who died in 1894 and whose 130th birthday is being celebrated this year This collection provides a better understanding of the artist’s approach and places his work in the context of the 19th century Don’t miss the ArtetSens sensory workshop an inspiring encounter with the talented Félix Auvard and Camille Regache and drag performances by Kings Factory reinventing 19th-centurymen’s clothing there will also be a DJ set by Violet Indigo and an intimate showcase by musician Lescop as tickets for these special events usually go fast 📍 Address: Musée d’Orsay Esplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing 75007 Paris 📆 Date: from 08/10/2024 to 19/01/2025 🎟️ Admission: €16 Further information on theexhibition Gustave Caillebotte. Peindre les hommes Last Updated on 17th May 2024 by Sophie Nadeau Yerres boasts the claim to being none other than the birthplace of world-renowned painter Caillebotte an impressionist painter who lived in the latter half of the 19th-century Today the sleepy town is quite residential but merits a visit if you’re in search of somewhere a little off the beaten tourist track within the Île de France region Here’s your guide to the best things to do in Yerres I first visited Yerres on a sunny afternoon in late July We had escaped the intense heat of the city for a few hours and I loved soaking up the non-touristy afternoon by strolling around the park and following in the footsteps of Gustave Caillebotte You won’t need more than a couple of hours to discover Yerres making it an easy side trip from Paris if you don’t have very much time spare Yerres in Île de France should not be confused with Hyères (which my French husband assures me is pronounced the same) in the south of France The Yerres close to Paris is in the Essonne department then the easiest way to reach the centre of town is to take the RER D from Gare de Lyon to Yerres train station Journeys depart on a regular basis throughout the day and take around 25 minutes each way There has been evidence of the human inhabitation of Yerres since at least 650 CE the town only truly rose to importance following the construction of the Abbey of Yerres during the 12th-century (between 1120 and 1132 to be precise) 44 Benedictine abbesses resided in and cared for the Abbey right up until the French Revolution the former abbey remains intact but has since been converted into residential flats The first even Lord of Yerres was known as Guillaume de Hierra and he resided in the château that has since been rebuilt and is now known as Château de Budé Throughout the centuries there was a power struggle between the Abbey and the Lords of Hierra the name ‘Yerres’ has taken several forms over the years “Erra” and “Irrya” have all been used and it wasn’t until the 20th-century that Yerres became the accepted and official spelling It’s thought that the name derives from the Latin for ivy As the most esteemed resident to have come from Yerres it should come as no surprise that the top thing to do in town is to visit Maison Caillebotte the artist’s former home turned museum The first time that Caillebotte’s work was shown at any kind of scale was when eight of the then 38 year old artist’s paintings were displayed within the second impressionism exhibition in 1876 Caillebotte stood out from many of his contemporaries because his work was regarded to be more realistic than any of his peers He was also different from many of his fellow artists in that he grew up in a wealthy family and so was not pressured to make money from his artwork he wanted to help other impressionist painters and soon purchased works by Monet he was such a patron of the arts that he even funded the rent for one of Monet’s studios his parents purchased what is now known as Maison Caillebotte in Yerres to be used as a summer house It was here in the gorgeous grounds of this Neo-classical villa where the young Caillebotte discovered a love of painting en plein air and developed his artistic skills Caillebotte painted dozens of Impressionistic works in the grounds of his family home some of which have gone on to be some of his most acclaimed pieces the town of Yerres acquired the house and its accompanying estate for the princely sum of 1 France for the purpose of preserving the property for future generations Today you can enter the grounds for free (and even enjoy a picnic there during the summer if you bring your own supplies) and pay a fee to enter the artist’s former home There’s also a restaurant on site (L’Orée du Parc) where you can enjoy French fine dining in a lovely setting The main church in Yerres is the Church of Saint Honest with the choir and sanctuary constructed in the 13th-century Named for the 2nd-century martyr Saint Honest the church is free to visit and much of what you see today was built during the 19th-century The church was completely restored in 2005 leading to the polished appearance you see today the imposing Château de Budé dates back to the 15th-century (though there were previous mansions onsite) and its turreted exterior remains impressive to this day Unfortunately it is now being turned into luxury flats and so only its exterior can still be admired Yet another château which can be found within Yerres Once known as Le Château de la Grange (on account of its positions within the now demolished forest of La Grange) the mansion was built in the early 17th-century on the site of a former fortified farm with the addition of a ceremonial gallery known as the ‘stucco gallery’ Those who owned the house remained in close favour with the Royals up until the French Revolution the building was used by the Germans to repair aircraft engines It was then restored and turned into a hotel The château remains private property to this day but its exterior can be enjoyed from behind the wrought iron gates on the entrance Sophie Nadeau is a full time travel writer and photographer focused on cultural experiences in Europe and beyond When she's not chasing after the sunset (or cute dogs she sees on her travels) she can be found reading and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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