Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) isn't one of the best-known French Impressionists, but his work is exhibited all over the U.S., most notably at The Art Institute of Chicago (Rainy Day: Paris Street, 1877). He also was the highly admirable and generous type of guy who had money yet shared it with his other artist friends, purchasing their works when they were down and out.
Caillebotte's will left all of his collected "charity" purchases such as paintings by Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, et al., to the French government. He wanted them to be displayed at the Luxembourg and Louvre Museums; the French government wasn't too convinced that the Impressionists were worthy of this honor at the time and only accepted a portion of the paintings. The rest ended up at The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, even though the French reconsidered and tried to get those back in the 1920s but Dr. Barnes said sorry, no dice. The ones the French government did accept are now at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Because Caillebotte was well-off financially, he had time to develop his various talents and interests at his own pace. Besides painting, he also designed textiles and liked to yacht and sail, and he especially enjoyed gardening. The Human Flower Project has a nice feature on Caillebotte, who apparently died while working in his garden. They note that only a savvy gardener could paint these pictured chrysanthemums in such a way, knowing exactly how the leaves and petals and roots would naturally arrange themselves.
Caillebotte was a great combination of wealth and talent, and a fine example of how money can be used admirably -- instead of on just a self-indulgent, late 19th century champagne, foie gras and women lifestyle. With some absinthe on the side.
