The Floor Scrapers

The Floor Scrapers is part of an early series Julia Santos Solomon created called Homage to the Masters. She was inspired by Gustave Caillebotte’s artwork of the same title (1875, Musée d’Orsay, Paris) and felt a strong empathy for the workers in his scene. Instead of painting a direct copy, Santos Solomon mixed eight shades of gray pigment and focused on how her eye saw Caillebotte’s picture, feeling the movement with her body as she painted in response to the exertion of the workers. The bold brushstrokes, dramatic light, and diagonals of limbs and floorboards all contribute to the palpable energy of the painting.