An almost infinite source of inspiration, the city of Paris has been a haven for artists of all periods. From emerging talents to the great masters of their art, painters have taken the capital as their model for centuries. As a result, great masterpieces depicting the capital were born, and most are even exhibited in Paris. Whatever the case, we present these superb paintings depicting the City of Light!
La Gare Saint-Lazare – Claude Monet
Inspired by the subject of technical progress, Monet produced a series of 12 paintings of the Gare Saint-Lazare, for the Impressionist exhibition in 1877. This was an urban turn after having produced paintings that focused mainly on nature. To be admired at the Musée d’Orsay!
Rue de Paris – Temps de Pluie – Gustave Caillebotte
Certainly the best-known of Caillebotte‘s paintings, Rue de Paris – Temps de Pluie depicts several streets in today’s 8th arrondissement, in the Europe district. Exhibited in Chicago, this oil painting masterpiece is a fine tribute to the Paris of yesteryear.
The Moulin de la Galette Ball – Auguste Renoir
Head for Montmartre to discover one of the most famous canvases of the neighborhood. In painting Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette, Renoir depicts a festive scene typical of the period, a dancing guinguette! A painting to be discovered once again at the Musée d’Orsay.
The Eiffel Tower – Georges Seurat
If we’re talking about works depicting Paris, we might as well include a painting featuring the Eiffel Tower. In the pointillist style, this painting by Georges Seurat was painted just after the monument’s inauguration!
Liberty Guiding the People – Eugène Delacroix
Inspired by the Trois Glorieuses revolution, La Liberté Guidant le Peuple is one of the most iconic paintings in art history. Exhibited in the Louvre, this work is set in Paris, as evidenced by the presence of Notre-Dame in the background.
Boulevard Montmartre, Night Effect – Camille Pissarro
Although he painted some fifteen pictures from the top of his hotel room on the corner of Boulevard des Italiens and Rue Drouot, Pissarro neither signed nor exhibited this series depicting Boulevard Montmartre. And to catch a glimpse of the most famous painting in this series, Effet de Nuit, you’ll have to go to London’s National Gallery.
Rue Saint-Denis, June 30, 1878 – Claude Monet
Probably the most colorful canvas in this selection, it depicts the June 30, 1878 celebrations in the Rue Montorgueil. A work once again kept at the Musée d’Orsay!
The Roofs of Paris – Paul Cézanne
Painted from his fifth-floor apartment in the Montparnasse district, this Cézanne canvas exudes a certain melancholy. It shows Paris’s distinctive zinc roofs, which have become an emblem of the city over the years.
The Mill at Blute-Fin – Vincent Van Gogh
During his Montmartre epic, Van Gogh painted a large number of pictures, including a series on the Moulin de Blute-Fin, also known as the Moulin de la Galette. This time, if you’re hoping to admire it, you’ll have to travel to Japan!
Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral in the snow – Eugène Galien-Laloue
His name may not be familiar, but Eugène Galien-Laloue is one of the painters who best paid tribute to the Paris of the Belle Époque. The perfect example? This magnificent painting of Notre-Dame in the winter greyness.