Oil on canvas, 14"x11"
This painting is a view of Parisian rooftops in the elegant neighborhood of Passy in the 16th arrondisement. In this painting I wanted to capture the exquisite details of these Beaux-Arts buildings with an impressionistic feeling. I painted this on a reddish ground which I allowed to peek through and between painterly brushstrokes creating a warm glow and unifying tone between the buildings and sky. I was very pleased to achieve great impasto textures in the clouds.
I adore the visual feast which is Paris with its distinctive historic architecture and atmosphere. While painting this I imagined all the gorgeous apartments contained within these buildings with their quintessential mansard roofs and balconies. I was inspired by all the Impressionist painters but in particular Gustave Caillebotte whose wonderful cityscapes captured the energy and architecture of his era. I've always been a fan of Caillebotte and I previously painted an homage to his great work "Paris Street, Rainy Afternoon" which can be seen here.
Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved.
