Gustave Caillebotte's The Orange Trees
The work chosen for evaluation in this essay is Gustave Caillebotte's 1878 oil on canvas painting titled The Orange Trees, a 61 x 46 work in which two central human figures are positioned in a formal garden in which orange trees are planted in sculpted boxes. The male figure in the foreground is the artist's brother, Marital; he wears a straw hat and purple shoes and is depicted reading a newspaper or magazine, his back to the artist, and his head bent over the reading material. In the background is the artist's cousin, Zoe, who wears a striped dress and red boots and who is bending over one of the boxed orange trees in a very formal garden. Also present in the picture are formal, wrought iron garden chairs and a winding path surrounded by formal plantings. According to the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston (MFAH) Web site (1), "Capturing the specific light effects of midday, Gustave Caillebotte contrasts the cool colors of shade with the dazzling, flattening effects of direct sunlight." The painting by Caillebotte employs a diagonal line
The texture is typical of the Impressionists, employing alternating patches of depth and surface paint to create variations in tone and in the interplay of light and shadow. They are unlikely to have been the individuals responsible for creating or maintaining the garden, but they are the beneficiaries of its beauty. The artist is making a statement of some significance. Interpretation What is "happening" in this Impressionist work of art is that two people are relaxing in a formal garden, surrounded by flowers and trees that are sculpted and placed in containers. They are distinct from the bright light found illuminating the curved path; they are dressed in fairly subtle colors, except for the purple slippers of the male and the red boots of the female, which reflect the colored patch of flowers in the background. Most interesting is the use of color found in the piece. This curve also emphasizes the diagonal created by the interplay of dark and light points of reference. The arrangement of the trees in their planters and the controlled flower garden, set off by a winding bright pathway, suggests forethought and planning; it further firmly places the garden in an urban rather than rural setting, where a more natural presentation of plantings would be found. The formality of the scene - despite the relative casualness of the clothing worn by the two figures - suggests a certain degree of affluence and taste. Caillebotte is commenting, therefore, upon the possibilities for leisure relaxation and pleasure that are or were available to a certain class of Parisians or urban residents. This creates a sense not only of a cool space in an otherwise bright and sunny garden, but also a sense of some enclosure for the two figures in the painting. It appeals because it has a sense of deliberation and of movement that are skillfully rendered. According to the MFAH (1) description, the artist deliberately chose to contrast the tones of darker areas with those of lighter areas. The focal point at the foreground of the painting is the artist's seated brother; the focal point in the rear is the artist's standing cousin, but the curving path creates movement from the bottom to the top of the canvas.
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Acceptance Essays
