“Place Saint Augustin, Misty Weather” is an oil on canvas artwork by Gustave Caillebotte, dated to 1878. This masterpiece is a fine representation of the Impressionist movement, belonging specifically to the genre painting category. As of the last known records, the artwork resides in a private collection, safeguarded from the public eye, where it continues to be appreciated by its keepers.
Upon observation, the artwork conveys a street scene shrouded in a misty atmosphere, likely in the morning hours given the soft quality of light and subdued shade of blue overcast. The Place Saint Augustin in Paris is depicted with its broad avenues and Haussmannian buildings that line the edges of the composition, their details gently fading into the haze. The streets are relatively quiet but not without life; figures are scattered across the scene. Their forms are rendered with quick and loose brushstrokes, typical of the Impressionist style, suggesting the movement and fleeting nature of the moment captured.
In the foreground, a gentleman with a top hat can be seen walking towards the viewer, his features suggested rather than precisely defined, which is characteristic of Caillebotte’s approach to conveying figures in his works. The ground is painted with a series of horizontal strokes, predominantly in various shades of blue and white, evoking the reflective wetness of the cobblestones after a possible recent rain. The artist’s play with perspective can be seen as the boulevard recedes into the distance, drawing the viewer’s eye into the depth of the scene amidst the everyday comings and goings of the Parisian urban landscape.
