Le Jardin du Petit Gennevilliers, les toits roses
Gustave Caillebotte·1890
Historical Context
Le Jardin du Petit Gennevilliers, les toits roses is among Caillebotte's most unusual garden paintings — the view takes in not just the flowers but the rooftops and chimneys of the town beyond, insisting on the garden as an urban or semi-urban space rather than a pastoral retreat. By the late 1880s Caillebotte had all but withdrawn from the Parisian art world, devoting himself to his garden, his boats, and his collection of paintings. The inclusion of the pink rooftops against the sky hints at the persistent urbanity underlying even his most pastoral work.
Technical Analysis
Warm pinks of the rooftops and cooler greens of the garden foliage create complementary tension across the canvas. Brushwork is varied — broader strokes in sky and roof surfaces, finer marks in vegetation.
