Gustave CaillebotteFrench, 1848–1894Nude on a Couch
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
Minneapolis Institute of Art
RoomG351Minneapolis, United States
On public display.
- Checked
- 4 hours ago
- In this state since
- Sep 25, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
Caillebotte paints his model on a faded floral couch in his bachelor’s apartment in Paris. Her boots and clothes are cast to the side and her body still bears their traces: faint pink impressions on her feet and around her waist. Rather than returning the viewer’s gaze, the woman rests one hand along- side her face, casting it in shadow, and touches herself with the other. This provocative picture—the second-largest painting that Caillebotte ever made—was not exhibited publicly until 1967, when it was acquired by the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 67.67
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art: the museum's own open data · fetched 4 days ago
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
Meanwhile, in the life of Gustave Caillebotte
The whole lifec. 1876 – 1878
Writes his will before the age of thirty
Convinced after René’s death that his own life would be short, Caillebotte wrote his will while still in his twenties, bequeathing a large collection to the French government.
1878
His mother dies: the brothers divide the fortune
In 1878 the artist’s mother, Céleste Daufresne, died; the surviving sons, Gustave and Martial, divided the family fortune.
after 1878
Living with his brother Martial: photographs after his paintings
After their parents’ deaths Gustave lived for a long time with his brother Martial, first in Paris and then in Gennevilliers, where they bought an estate; the brothers shared an interest in faience collecting, philately and sailing, and Martial, a composer and photographer, often reproduced the compositions of his brother’s paintings in his photographs.
1879
The Fourth Impressionist Exhibition: 35 works on water and leisure
In 1879 Caillebotte submitted 35 paintings and pastels on water sports, boating and riverside leisure; “Oarsman in a Top Hat” (Boating Party) was considered one of the best of them, and the show is described as the most important exhibition of his works during his lifetime.
1881
Models for Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party”
Caillebotte was a model for Renoir’s 1881 painting “Luncheon of the Boating Party”.
1881
Buys a property at Petit-Gennevilliers on the Seine
In 1881 Caillebotte acquired a property at Petit-Gennevilliers on the banks of the Seine near Argenteuil; it had a shipyard where he could design his own yachts.
