Les Orangers

The Orangers is another impressionist scene dedicated to the theme of gardening and horticulture. This painting was delivered by Gustave Caillebotte in 1878.

The original artwork can now be found at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, USA. Most of this artist’s paintings are hidden away in private collections in Europe and North America but some such as The Orangers is available for public viewing. Caillebotte was far more than just an artist. He was also financially secure and able to help fund several of the impressionist exhibitions. Caillebotte also collected art and owned several horticulture-related paintings by other artists, such as Claude Monet (including Le Dejeuner).

The overall atmosphere of this painting is particularly calming and in keeping with Caillebotte's beautiful mixture of impressionism and realism. He is most famous for his depictions of city life but was actually at his happiest when gardening in his family-owned mansion. An interesting fact around his membership of the impressionist movement was that he would actually exchange gardening tips with Monet from time to time.