1848 – 1907
Industrial Revolution II

Caillebotte's The Floor Scrapers


Gustave Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers (Les raboteurs de parquet), 1875,
oil on canvas, 102 x 146.5 cm (Musée d'Orsay, Paris).

Speakers: Dr. Parmi Giuntini, Director of Art History, Otis College of Art and Design
and Dr. Robert Summers, lecturer, Otis College of Art and Design

Your Comments (3)

Previous Comments

Yael Samuel wrote on Thursday, December 16, 2010

Thank you for a thoroughly engaging and thought provoking discussion on Caillebotte

Shea Lacombe wrote on Thursday, March 10, 2011

I agree that this work defiantly eroticizes the male workers. From the point of view that Caillebotte paints the image from, he is looking down and objectifying the male workers. The point of view he takes appears as though it is predatory and completely objectifies them.

Aaron wrote on Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Okay - the homosexual aspect of this seems a little over blown in this video. If you have ever done manual labor like this you would know that you get really hot. It is hard, hard work. If Caillebotte was attracted to these men and decided to paint them, well okay. But if you are wondering why they have their shirts off, then I suggest you try doing this work for 8-10 hours. Your shirts will be off.

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Where and When

Caillebotte: The Floor Scrapers
Paris, France
1875

Check this out as well

This painting at the Musee d'Orsay

Brooklyn Museum page on a related painting from the next year, The Floor Scrapers, 1876

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