You can now see this €43 million French masterpiece at the Musée d'Orsay

The Musée d’Orsay has a new masterpiece.

A beloved work titled ‘La Partie de bateau’ (‘The Boat Party’) by French painter Gustave Caillebotte was unveiled at the prestigious Paris museum earlier this week (30 January).

French Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak was present when the painting made its first public appearance at the Musée d’Orsay.

“Today we celebrate a great victory, the preservation of one of the most precious treasures of French heritage,” he said.

The painting depicts a boatman wearing a black top hat rowing the River Yerres, not far from the Caillebotte family estate, where the artist spent his summer holidays from the age of twelve.

The fascinating work was acquired thanks to the sponsorship of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, which paid 43 million euros ($46.7 million) for the work

Minister Abdul Malak expressed his appreciation for LVMH’s efforts in making this acquisition possible and recognized the importance of Caillebotte and her painting in the French art world.

“This triumph would not have been possible without Gustave Caillebotte himself, who supported, through his purchases, his artist friends Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, as you said, who were able to count on his support in times of doubt and of difficulty,” said Malak.

He also announced that on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Impressionism (the first Impressionist exhibition opened its doors at 35 Boulevard des Capucines in Paris in 1874), several museums across France will present Caillebotte’s masterpiece next year .

Who is Gustave Caillebotte?

Gustave Caillebotte was not the average artist of his time. While her contemporaries were busy painting dreamy landscapes and portraits of society’s elite, Caillebotte was out capturing the real Paris, the one with the cobblestone streets, the workers and, of course, the boats.

Born in Paris in 1848, Caillebotte was a man of many talents. He was a painter, a collector and even a patron of the arts. But above all, he was a master at capturing life’s everyday moments. His paintings, such as ‘La Partie de bateau’, are a pleasure to the eye, with their vivid colors, vivid detail and sense of movement. His paintings are considered some of the earliest examples of urban realism.

Some of his most famous works include “Paris Street; Rainy Day” (1877), “The Floor Scrapers” (1875), and “Skiffs on the Yerres” (1877).

Despite his groundbreaking work, Gustave remained relatively unknown during his lifetime, but his impact on the art world cannot be understated.

Today he is regarded as one of the leading figures in the Impressionist movement and his paintings are exhibited in some of the best art museums in the world.

A major Caillebotte exhibition is being staged at the Musée d’Orsay for the fall of 2024, with outstanding loans from some of the most respected museums in the United States.

Watch the video above to see the presentation of Caillebotte’s masterpiece.