Yerres, Path Through the Old Growth Woods in the Park 1878

Gustave Caillebotte painted "Yerres, Path Through the Old Growth Woods in the Park" with oil on canvas, but the year is unknown. Caillebotte was among a group of painters in late 19th century France known as the Impressionists. However, this painting of a park path at Yerres departs from core Impressionist concerns of light and movement. Instead, we find a focus on the path itself, in visual terms, its recession into the distance. It is also the focus in a symbolic way, inviting the viewer to walk along it. The park is orderly, maintained, and accessible. The painting suggests that the experience of nature is itself socially mediated, framed by certain class expectations. Art historians research the social and institutional contexts that inform the creation and reception of artworks like this.