Somehow I figured we were done with Grudge Matches, but then here we go reopening the question of Caillebotte v. Degas, which we all thought we'd resolved in March '18 when the French guy -- well, Degas -- took eight out of fourteen votes. But then he lost to Bruegel before beating Homer in his most recent match.
Caillebotte, meanwhile, got back in the game with a run of three wins, against Bosch, Durer, and Varo. And so, here they are again. Let's look deep inside ourselves and decide whether we really truly think Degas is better, or have we changed our collective minds. Degas takes a tie according to the Grudge Match rule.
1848 - 1894
French
Impressionists such as... Gustave Caillebotte enthusiastically painted the renovated city, employing their new style to depict its wide boulevards, public gardens, and grand buildings.... Caillebotte’s 1877 Paris Street, Rainy Day exemplifies how these artists abandoned sentimental depictions and explicit narratives, adopting instead a detached, objective view that merely suggests what is going on. - The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
- Defeated mobile pioneer Alexander Calder in Round 1.
- Held out against Edward Burra in Round 2.
- Fought to a draw with Caravaggio in Round 3.
- Crushed Corot in the Round 3 tiebreaker.
- Blasted Mary Cassatt in a Round 4 15-0 blowout.
- Beat Frederick Church easily in Round 5.
- Lost to Edgar Degas in Round 6.
- Upset Hieronymus Bosch in the Left Bracket Sixth Round.
- Upset Albrecht Dürer in Sixth Round Elimination by a single vote. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
- Nudged Remedios Varo out in the Left Bracket Seventh Round by a single vote. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
1834 - 1917
French
Edgar Degas seems never to have reconciled himself to the label of “Impressionist,” preferring to call himself a “Realist” or “Independent.” Nevertheless, he was one of the group’s founders, an organizer of its exhibitions, and one of its most important core members. Like the Impressionists, he sought to capture fleeting moments in the flow of modern life, yet he showed little interest in painting plein-air landscapes, favoring scenes in theaters and cafés illuminated by artificial light, which he used to clarify the contours of his figures, adhering to his academic training. - The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
- Whupped it up on sculptor Richard Deacon in Round 1.
- Stomped on Eugène Delacroix in Round 2.
- Crushed countryman Honoré Daumier in Round 3.
- Bested Caravaggio in Round 4.
- Beat Albrecht Dürer in a tough Round 5 match.
- Beat Gustave Caillebotte in Round 6 by a two-vote swing. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
- Lost to Pieter Bruegel in the Elite Eight round.
- Beat Winslow Homer in the Left Bracket Seventh Round by a two-vote swing. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!
