Landscape with Haystacks 1874

Gustave Caillebotte made this small painting of haystacks using oil on canvas. The fairly rough, visible brushwork gives the painting a sense of immediacy, as though Caillebotte was trying to capture a fleeting impression. The colours are muted, giving a sense of rural calm. What strikes me most, though, is Caillebotte’s choice of subject. Haystacks speak to agricultural labor, a world of physical work mostly absent from the canvases of his more famous Impressionist contemporaries. Caillebotte was independently wealthy, so his choice of subject matter feels deliberate. This painting gently reminds us of the labor-intensive process of harvesting and storing hay, a task usually carried out by rural workers. By focusing on these stacks, Caillebotte quietly acknowledges the importance of these individuals, highlighting their contribution to the picturesque countryside. It demonstrates that artworks can also pay tribute to everyday work and the lives of laborers.