Gustave Caillebotte ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ–Œ๐Ÿ–ผ

Born in Paris on August 19, 1848, Gustave Caillebotte was the wealthy Impressionist who financed the movementโ€™s exhibitions and rescued his friends from poverty โ€” all while painting some of its boldest, most structurally daring canvases. From shirtless floor scrapers to a rain-soaked Paris boulevard, his precise, almost photographic style set him apart from Monet and Renoir. Forgotten as an artist for decades, heโ€™s now recognized as one of Impressionismโ€™s true innovators. His masterpieces hang today at the Musรฉe dโ€™Orsay and the Art Institute of Chicago. Continue reading Gustave Caillebotte ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ–Œ๐Ÿ–ผ

Telemaco Signorini ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ–Œ๐Ÿ–ผ

Born in Florence on August 18, 1835, Telemaco Signorini was the restless theorist of the Macchiaioli, the Tuscan painters who pioneered outdoor light-and-shadow painting a decade before French Impressionism. From an unflinching asylum ward to a Scottish street corner with an early advertising billboard, his work ranged from social realism to cosmopolitan urban scenes. A close friend of Degas and a tireless art critic, Signorini remains one of Italyโ€™s most compelling 19th-century painters. His major works are held today at Palazzo Pitti and Caโ€™ Pesaro. Continue reading Telemaco Signorini ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ–Œ๐Ÿ–ผ