Art Compare Contrast Essay

In the late 1800s three Impressionist masters were capturing images of life in France while simultaneously depicting on going changes in Parisian society and culture. The paintings that give us a glimpse into the changing times in France include Vincent van Gogh’s Terrace and Observation Deck at the Moulin de Blute-Fin, Montmartre (1887), Gustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877) and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s At the Moulin Rouge (1892/95). I encountered these paintings in the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection at The Art Institute of Chicago. While observing these paintings, I discovered objects and motifs that suggest modern advancements in technology, fashion and architecture, while uncovering a connecting between Frances past and present. Van Gogh’s painting Terrace and Observation Deck at the Moulin de Blute-Fin, Montmartre depicts the new Impressionism movement in a rural setting that does not escape the changing times in France. In this small scale painting of the Montmartre landscape the viewer can feel the cold weather achieved by the use cool blue and grey …show more content…
These two objects create a battle between antiquity and modernity. In fact, the wall text next to this piece explains that this deck was an addition to an abandoned windmill that afforded a spectacular view of Paris, a city developing into one of the worlds most modern (Art Institute). Gustave Caillebotte’s seminal work Paris Street; Rainy Day juxtaposes Van Gogh’s Terrace and Observation Deck at the Moulin de Blute-Fin, Montmartre by placing the viewer in the heart of the city. Small pools of water sit in between the cobble stones of a busy five way intersection. These intersections guide your eyes to two vanishing points that highlight a center tall yellow building. A sprinkled pattern of umbrellas shields everyone walking across the