F ew paintings capture the hustle and bustle of late 19th-century Paris more powerfully than Gustave Caillebotte's La Rue Halévy, vue du sixième étage, 1878. Created as the city underwent a dramatic reconfiguration, this expansive urban view epitomises the way in which the Impressionists brought the French capital to life, rendered in Caillebotte’s own innovative pictorial style. An elevated vantage point, plunging perspective and clear draughtsmanship characterise this radical and daring composition – among the artist’s greatest contributions to Modernism. As this enthralling scene comes to auction in May, it represents a rare chance to own a great urban landscape that captures the essence of the romantic city that holds our imaginations to this day.
Lumières: The Levy Family Collection
GUSTAVE CAILLEBOTTE
La Rue Halévy, vue du sixième étage, 1878
$6,000,000–8,000,000
