Caillebotte masterpiece enters Musée d'Orsay collections thanks to luxury multinational

A masterpiece by Gustave Caillebotte has entered the collections of the Musée d’Orsay thanks to the exclusive sponsorship of LVMH, a multinational company in the luxury sector: it is Partie de bateau or Canotier au chapeau haut de forme, createdby the Impressionist painter between 1877 and 1878 and presented at the Fourth Impressionist Exhibition in 1879. The painting had been classified as a national treasure in 2020 by the French Ministry of Culture

In 1879 Gustave Caillebotte participated in the fourth exhibition of the Impressionist group with an exceptional nucleus of thirty-five paintings and pastels-the most important set of Caillebotte’s works exhibited during his lifetime. Most of the paintings depict scenes of water sports, boating, and leisure time along the river. Partie de bateau is precisely one of the most emblematic paintings in the series.

Because of its iconography, style, and history, Partie de bateau appears as one of the major works of the artist, and also of Impressionist painting in the 1870s. The theme of water sports was very attractive to Caillebotte: he himself practiced rowing. This familiarity with the subject led the artist to make the sporting activity and the character of the rower in full fatigue, seen in the “foreground,” the main subject of his painting.

Owned by the artist and later by his brother Martial and his heirs, Partie de bateau has remained in France, in the family collections, to this day.

The acquisition of Partie de bateau fills a real gap and enriches the Musée d’Orsay’s collection with a masterpiece, unparalleled in French public collections. In fact, the French national collections include only thirteen works by Gustave Caillebotte, despite recent additions. Until now, the Musée d’Orsay had no works by the artist from the period devoted to the theme of water sports. Partie de bateau now joins the View of Rooftops, also exhibited by the painter at the Impressionists’ 1879 exhibition.

Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak and the Musée d’Orsay announce that there will be a national celebration around this masterpiece in 2024. At the request of the Minister of Culture, and for the first time, this national treasure will be exhibited in multiple cities across the country so that this painting will be seen by the widest possible audience.

It will also celebrate 150 years since the advent of Impressionism, a movement that originated in France and conquered the world. Masterpieces from the Impressionist collection of the Musée d’Orsay will then be displayed in some 20 museums around the country.

Finally, a major exhibition on Caillebotte will also be organized at the Musée d’Orsay in the fall of 2024, with exceptional loans from the greatest American museums.

“Today, we are delighted that the patronage of LVMH and its Maisons allows one of the last masterpieces of Impressionism still in private hands to remain in France, thus enriching the collections of the Musée d’Orsay,” said Jean-Paul Claverie, Advisor to Bernard Arnault, LVMH Chairman and CEO. “LVMH thus affirms, once again, its commitment to the preservation and promotion of the national artistic and cultural heritage.”

Pictured, Partie de bateau by Gustave Caillebotte (1877-1878; Paris, Musée d’Orsay). © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Sophie Crépy

Caillebotte masterpiece enters Musée d'Orsay collections thanks to luxury multinational

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.