The artwork titled “Square in Paris, Snowy Weather” was painted by Gustave Caillebotte around 1887 to 1888. Executed with oil on panel, the piece measures approximately 23.7 by 18.8 centimeters. It is an exemplary work of the Impressionism movement, characterized by its cityscape genre. At present, the artwork resides within a private collection.
Upon examination, the artwork captures a distinctly muted Parisian cityscape under the blanket of snowfall. The handling of light and color is consistent with the Impressionist movement’s interest in reflecting the atmospheric conditions and the transient effects of weather and light. The scene is composed with a high vantage point, offering a view over a public square lined with bare trees, whose branches are delicately highlighted by the winter’s covering.
Figures, small in scale and rendered with quick brushstrokes to convey movement and life, are dispersed throughout the composition, populating the streets and sidewalks. The overall palette is restrained, with earthen tones that suggest the chill of winter, punctuated by the brighter whites of the snow and the darker accents of the architecture and figures. This harmonious, albeit subdued, interplay of hues and the brisk application of paint create a sense of immediacy, capturing the momentary essence of the city in winter. Caillebotte’s work, thus, not only chronicles the Parisian landscape but also encapsulates a particular moment in time with the nuanced skill of his impressionist contemporaries.
