Calf's Head and Ox Tongue

c. 1882

Caillebotte may have been inspired by the butcher’s shop below his family home in Paris when he painted this bloody scene of animal parts ready for human consumption. The painting confronts viewers with objects that are visually unpleasant and yet rendered with highly decorative pastel colors and soft brushstrokes.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Gustave Caillebotte (French, 1848–1894)

Date

c. 1882

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

73 × 54 cm (29 × 21 in.); Framed: 87.7 × 69.3 × 7.7 cm (34 1/2 × 27 1/4 × 3 in.)

Origin

France

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Major Acquisitions Centennial Endowment