Young Man At His Window is an oil on canvas painting by the French Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte that was completed in 1875. The painting portrays Caillebotte’s brother, René Caillebotte, standing at a balcony overlooking the street below. The artwork measures 117 by 82 centimeters and combines a sense of depth with strict geometric representation of architecture.
Caillebotte frequently used different elements of the city of Paris within his work, and this piece captures a moment of radical transformation as the Paris we know today took shape. Young Man At His Window has been extensively discussed and reproduced in scholarly literature due to its innovative approach to perspective drawing and use of light.
The Getty Museum in Los Angeles acquired this valuable piece in 2021. While Caillebotte was a member and patron of the Impressionists, he painted in a more realistic manner than many others in the group, making his works unique among their collections. This particular piece showcases his attention to detail while highlighting his ability to capture urban moments with charm and elegance that leave audiences mesmerized even after all these years.
