Artwork

Artists Returning from the Salon

Artists Returning from the Salon, by Félix-Hilaire Buhot, 1877
Artists Returning from the Salon, by Félix-Hilaire Buhot, 1877

Artists Returning from the Salon is a print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1877 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Félix Hilaire Buhot’s 1877 print Artists Returning from the Salon depicts a rainy urban street scene. The composition captures pedestrians with umbrellas, a horse‑drawn carriage, and a small boat stranded on the wet ground, all set against bare trees lining the thoroughfare. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection.

Subject & Meaning

The image records a moment of everyday life in a bustling yet subdued city after a rainstorm. Figures move in varied directions, suggesting the return of artists from an exhibition, while the reflective puddles and muted lighting convey a quiet, transient atmosphere.

Technique & Style

Buhot employs rapid, sketchy lines that convey motion and immediacy. The print’s loose handling of form and emphasis on atmospheric effects align it with the Impressionist interest in fleeting light and contemporary urban subjects, using the medium’s capacity for tonal variation to suggest rain‑slick surfaces.

History & Provenance

Created in 1877, the work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition (specific details of purchase are not recorded in the source). Its presence in an American museum reflects the broader 19th‑century interest in European prints among collectors.

Context

The print emerges during a period when French artists were increasingly depicting modern life, especially the effects of weather on cityscapes. Buhot’s choice of a rainy street parallels contemporary explorations by Impressionists of how light and atmosphere transform ordinary scenes.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Félix-Hilaire Buhot

Artist

Félix-Hilaire Buhot

Félix-Hilaire Buhot (1847–1898) was a French artist, born in Valognes.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.