Portrait de Camille Daurelle

Portrait de Camille Daurelle (1877, Musée d'Orsay) is a pastel portrait of a young woman who appears in several of Caillebotte's Yerres paintings — she may have been a member of the household or a neighbor on the family estate. The pastel medium, unusual in Caillebotte's practice, allowed a softer, more immediate rendering than his oils, and the Orsay's holding ensures its canonical status. The portrait's 1877 date places it at the peak of his early Impressionist production, the same year he completed Paris Street; Rainy Day.

As a pastel, the portrait achieves a softness of surface and warmth of color that differs significantly from Caillebotte's typical oil technique. He builds the face and figure through layered pastel strokes, capturing the luminosity of skin in the medium's characteristic manner. The result is more delicate and atmospheric than his rigorous oil paintings.