2009 Artof Pissarro2 Text

THE ART OF PISSARRO-Part 2

0. THIS MATERIAL IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY

1. THE ART OF PISSARRO
Part Two: PEOPLE
Pissarro, L.& Rewald, J. (Ed.) (1981). Letters to His son Lucien. Nov. 20,
1883, p. 38. In Schirrmeister, A. (1982). Camille Pissarro. NY: The
Metropolitan Mus.

Review:
1830: Jacob Camille Pissarro born on July 10th in St. Thomas
1842-47: Studies in France
1855: Returns to France permanently
1859: Salon accepts one of his landscapes
1860: Becomes friendly with Ludovic Piette and with Julie Vellay
1862: Julie has a miscarriage
1863: On February 20th, their son Lucien is born
1864: Visits Piette in Montfoucault
1865: Daughter, Jeanne-Rachel is born
1868: Salon accepts two of his Pontoise landscapes
1870: Salon accepts two landscapes.
He flees Louveciennes during Franco-Prussian War
Marries Julie in London while staying at home of half-sister
1871: Sells two paintings to Paul Durand-Ruel
In November, their son Georges is born
1872: Settles in Pontoise with Cezanne
1873: His paintings bring high prices at various auctions
He and Monet organize independent exhibitions opposed to Salon
1874: 1st exhibition of “Impressionists” dubbed by ironic critic
In April, daughter Jeanne-Rachel (Minette) dies at age 9
In July, son Felix is born
1875: spends fall at Piette’s in Montfoucault
1876: Shows 12 works in the 2nd Impressionist exhibition
1877: His works bring very low prices at auction
Ludovic Piette dies
1878: In September, his son Ludovic-Rodolphe is born
1879: Pissarro shows 38 works in 4th Impressionist Exhibition
1880: Sends 11 paintings and etchings to the 5th Impressionist exhibition
1881: Participates with 11 landscapes in 6th Impressionist Exhibition
In August, his daughter Jeanne is born
1882: Sends 36 canvases and gouaches to the 7th Impressionist Exhibition
1884: Leaves Osny for Eragny near Gisors (Eure)
Their last child, Paul Emile is born
Pissarro is faced with grave financial problems.
1886: Exhibits 20 ‘divisionist’ paintings in 8th Impressionist Exhibition
1887: Durand-Ruel refuses to buy his recent, pointillist paintings
Pissarro is again in financial straits
Julie is so discouraged that she considers suicide
1889: Suffers from chronic eye infection
1890: Abandons divisionism
Theo asks Camille to accept Vincent as a boarder
Mme Pissarro objects to a SICK man among her small children
Camille listens to his wife! (BIBLICAL CITATION!)

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1892: Durand-Ruel organizes very successful retrospective
Lucien marries Esther Bensusan, a Sephardic Jew (What are
the chances of this happening? The implication is that some
Jewish attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors were transmitted to
his son. These are all cultural characteristics).
1897: In November, son Felix dies in England at age 23
Exhibits in Pittsburgh at the Second International Show
1901: Dies of blood poisoning from an abcess of the prostate
1905: Lucien wrote to his mother:
“Don’t worry about father, HE WILL NEVER BE
FORGOTTEN….when he does come up, it will be for good.
(Jewish phrase: MAY HIS MEMORY BE FOR A BLESSING!)

2. MAP
Rothkopf, K. (2007). Pissarro: Creating The Impressionist landscape.
Baltimore: Philip Wilson Publishers, Ltd.

These are some of the sites around Paris where Pissarro painted
1855-57: moves to France
1858: Sets up studio in Paris
1863: Moves to La Varenne-saint-Hillaire,near Marne river
1866: Moves to L’Hermitage, a small hamlet in Pontoise
1869: Moves to Louveciennes, about 20 miles from Paris
1870: Franco-Prussian war begins 7/19. Dec.-moves to London
1871: Returns to Louveciennes; house wrecked by soldiers
1872: Moves back to Pontoise
The homeopathic doctor Dr. Paul Gachet had a house nearby
He had treated Pissarro’s mother, Rachel, in Paris in 1865 and after
1874: Visits Piette at Montfoucault; earliest peasant paintings
1882: Left Pontoise for Eragny and stayed until death

3. PISSARRO PAINTING OUTSIDE-Ludovic Piette, 1874-76
Rothkopf, K. (2007). Pissarro: Creating The Impressionist landscape.
Baltimore: Philip Wilson Publishers, Ltd. Oil on canvas.
Private collection, Paris

1873: His paintings bring high prices at various auctions
He and Monet organize independent exhibitions opposed to Salon
1874: 1st exhibition of “Impressionists” dubbed by ironic critic
In April, daughter Jeanne-Rachel (Minette) dies at age 9
In July, son Felix is born
1875: spends fall at Piette’s in Montfoucault
Montfoucault offered Pissarro isolation from Paris and Pontoise
It offered an opportunity to study peasant life on its own, directly
Montfoucault is a tiny hamlet, with approximately 50 inhabitants,
It consisted of 2 or 3 farms and some 5 or 6 houses
It is virtually on the border between Brittany and Normandy
The nearest town is 12 to 15 miles
This sense of distance and isolation pervades his works
1876: Shows 12 works in the 2nd Impressionist exhibition
Piette painted this while Pissarro visited him at Montfoucault
There the artist made about 20 painting

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They include some of his earliest paintings of peasants
In September, his son Ludovic-Rodolphe was born
He was named in memory of his friend Ludovic Piette
Naming an infant in honor and memory is a great Jewish tribute
Camille had met Ludovic at the Academie Suisse around 1860
Camille went to Montfoucault during the Franco-Prussian War
He and his family took refuge with Ludovic Piette and his family
There is no paintings of Montfoucault during his 4-month stay there
They remained friends until Piette’s death on April 15, 1878

Before they came, Piette wrote to Pissarro:
“….we have to live with wolves: living in a land of prejudice. I am
forced to accept it in order to avoid gossip. Consequently, as the
rule goes, I must pretend that you are married, and you have to let
them believe it: this will cut short all the ramblings….This is
stupid but necessary.”

Camille’s mother withdrew her denial of consent to a wedding
She suggested that they:
“wait until all these events [probably a reference to the
Franco-Prussian War] are over, then you could go to London
and there marry without my consent and without anyone
knowing about it. I will supply you with the money for this
trip. God willing.”

Julie pressured Camille to marry her and legalize their union
In Montfoucault, She gave birth to Adele-Emma on October 21st
The infant died three weeks later, on November 15
Pissarro’s mother feared the Prussian army and left for London
She sent a condolence note to her son
Two weeks later their 7-month stay in London came to an end
They returned to Louveciennes.

4. PORTRAIT OF MADAME PISSARRO- Camille Pissarro, 1883
Pissarro, J. (1993). Camille Pissarro. New York: Harry Abrams.
Pastel. 23 3/4 x 18 1/4” (61 x 47 cm).
Private collection (PV1565)
Rewald, J. (1963) Pissarro. NY: Abrams
Pastel. Private collection, England.

1877: His works bring very low prices at auction
Ludovic Piette dies
1878: In September, his son Ludovic-Rodolphe is born
1879: Pissarro shows 38 works in 4th Impressionist Exhibition
1880: Sends 11 paintings and etchings to the 5th Impressionist exhibition
1881: Participates with 11 landscapes in 6th Impressionist Exhibition
In August, his daughter Jeanne is born
1882: Sends 36 canvases and gouaches to the 7th Impressionist Exhibition

Dec. 1870-July 1871: Pissarro stayed in London
Pissarro left a painting at Durand-ruel’s gallery
He soon received a friendly note from the dealer

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Camille had not yet met Durand-Ruel
He wanted to know the price of the painting
Durand-Ruel requested that Pissarro send him other works
Durand-Ruel was the son of the dealer of the Barbizon painters
Pissarro produced 15 paintings while he was in London
He also did a number of works on paper of considerable variety

London marked a total pictorial break for Pissarro
New images, colors, techniques, and poetics were introduced
These momentarily interrupted his more rigid architectonic concerns
He was more inventive, pictorially daring, and more broadminded
1883: Durand-Ruel organized first one-man show of Pissarro
Begins correspondence with Lucien in London
Durand-Ruel opens Impressionists in London
Pissarro was not successful
Pissarro did this pastel drawing of Julie, his wife
She is shown as soft, but resolute

Julie’s Pregnancies and children:
1862: Miscarriage
1863: Lucien
1865: Jeanne-Rachel born; dies at age 9 in 1874
1870? Montfoucault on October 21st Adele-Emma was born; died on Nov. 15
1871: In November, their son Georges is born; died in 1960
1874: In July, Felix born; dies at age 23 in 1897
1878: Ludovic-Rodolphe; died in Paris in 1952
1881: Jeanne; died in Paris in 1948
1884: Paul-emile
All five of Pissarro’s sons chose to become painters

5. PORTRAIT OF JEANNE- Camille Pissarro, 1898
Oil on canvas. 25 1/4 x 21” (65 x 54 cm). Foundation Rau pour le tiers-
Monde. Zurich. (PV1065)

1890: Abandons divisionism
Theo asks Camille to accept Vincent as a boarder
Mme Pissarro objects to a SICK man among her small children
Camille listens to his wife! (BIBLICAL CITATION!)
1892: Durand-Ruel organizes very successful retrospective
Lucien marries Esther Bensusan, a Sephardic Jew (What are
the chances of this happening? The implication is that some
Jewish attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors were transmitted to
his son. These are all cultural characteristics).
1897: In November, son Felix dies in England at age 23
Exhibits in Pittsburgh at the Second International Show
Pissarro continually portrayed himself and his close family
He used all media
Jeanne was born in 1870 only a few weeks before Adele-Emma died
She is shown here at 18 years old

6. JEANNE READING- Camille Pissarro, 1899

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Oil on Canvas. 21 1/2 x 25 1/2” (551 x 654 cm). Private collection (PV 111)

Jeanne is seen again the following year
Here she is one component of an avant-garde composition
Notice the multiple repeated abstract patterns
Asymmetrical composition reflects modernists aesthetics

7. PORTRAIT OF PERE PAPEILLE- Camille Pissarro, Pontoise, c. 1874
Pastel. 21 1/2 x 18” (55 x 46 cm). Private Collection. (PV 1523)

Moving back in time to a non-family member
Notice the more traditional, academic paint handling
Pissarro’s idea of ‘holidays’ or ‘entertainments’ was absurd
He probably never took a holiday in his entire life
He traveled from his home and studio only for house hunting
Or, he was visiting his or his wife’s relatives
He accumulated piles of visual data: memory and movement
The sitter seems to stare beyond the artist

8. PORTRAIT OF MADAME F. ESTRUC- Camille Pissarro, c. 1874
Pastel. 18 x 11 1/8” (46 x 29 cm).
Collection Achim Moeller fine Art, New York (PV 1521)

This pastel portrait was done fairly early in Pissarro’s long career
The softness of the media conveys an ephemeral quality
It also provides a glowing translucence to skin tones
Mme. Estruc’s gaze to the right is a casual, informal approach
That was an unusual stance for the time
It is as if she’d been ‘caught’ for the moment-a slice of life

9. LA MERE LARCHEVEQUE- Camille Pissarro, 1880

Pissarro examined the role and condition of peasants for many hours
He accorded great dignity to their lot in life
He did not dramatize or glorify
He simply documented their individuality and uniqueness

10. PEASANT WOMAN- Camille Pissarro, 1880
Oil on canvas. 28 3/4 x 23 3/8” National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
Chester Dale Collection

1879: Pissarro worked in Pontoise
The principles that informed impressionism were
A rejection of traditional rules and
A common search for new methods
He showed 38 works in 4th Impression Exhibition
1880: Pissarro sent 11 paintings to the 5th Impressionist Exhibition

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1881: He tried to avoid conflict between artists about 6th Exhibition
Pissarro participated with 11 landscapes
He worked with Cezanne and Gauguin in Pontoise
August 1881: 2nd Daughter Jeanne was born
1882: Sent 36 canvases to the 7th Impressionist Exhibition
Pissarro and his family left Pontoise finally on December 1, 1882
They initially settled in a small village called Osny
They then left for Eragny
Pissarro lived there until his death in 1903

11. SEATED PEASANT WOMAN- Camille Pissarro, 1885
Oil on canvas. 28 1/4 x 23” (724 x 59 cm). Yale University Art Gallery.
Gift of Mr. And Mrs. Paul Mellon, B.A. 1929 (PV676)

Pissarro emphasized the poise and nobility in this peasant woman
His organizational arrangement in this painting is powerful
Her angled left elbow is repeated in the pattern of her scarf
Her sense of concentration and stability is conveyed
This painting was created with a strong sense of composition

After expressing some satisfaction to Lucien at having completed, SEATED
PEASANT, Pissarro defined his new method to Lucien:
“I stand more than ever for the impression from memory: you get
less the thing itself, but vulgarity goes also, to let the truth, half
seen and felt, emerge.

12. THE YOUNG MAID- Camille Pissarro, 1896
Cogniat, R. (1975) Pissarro. New York: Crown publishers.

Pissarro had an instinctive drive for independence
It was an intuitive non-conformism
It made him commit himself wholly to the causes he thought good
These were both in the realm of art and in the field of politics
This position made him aid whatever appeared original
He was an ardent and courageous advocate of innovators
He thought Impressionism could be fortified by a solid structure
It had the power to transform revolutionary art into classicism
Interaction plays an important role in Impressionism
Pissarro was well aware of how the viewer reacted to his work
Impressionism is a more ‘scientific’ approach to depicting color

13. WOMAN IN FRONT OF A MIRROR- Camille Pissarro, 1887
Gouache. 12 1/2 x 9 1/2” (32 x 24 cm).
Private collection. United States (PV1421)

Notice the arrangement of this composition
Pissarro sought a more dynamic organization for static objects
His approach is a stimulating alternative to symmetrical placement
Cezanne called Pissarro “the first Impressionist”

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Pissarro created the legal structure of the Impressionist group
He established the only legal document defining its purpose and aim
He was the only artist who exhibited in all 8 exhibitions
He was an ‘outsider,’ or neo-Impressionist in the last exhibition
His work was separate, along with Seurat, Signac, and his son Lucien
Regarding Neo-Impressionism, Pissarro said in 1883:
“Really Impressionism was nothing but a pure theory of observation,
without losing hold of fantasy, liberty, or grandeur—in a word, of
all that makes an art great.”

14. YOUNG FLEMISH MAID-Camille Pissarro, 1896
Cogniat, R. (1975) Pissarro. New York: Crown publishers.
Oil on canvas. 21 7/16 x 17 3/3” Stephen Hahn Gallery. New York

Once again, Pissarro’s choice of imagery is very revealing
He could easily have easily omitted some objects
He included the edge of the chair, open doorway and bedroom beyond
He also broke up the space directly behind the seated subject
His choices reflect a more ‘realistic’ or ‘’modernist’ approach
He documented what existed and what he saw
Pissarro was adamant about the word “SENSATION”
He said that it was “the only thing that matters”
This French concept of SENSATION is almost impossible to translate
It corresponds to physical, sensorial experience
It also carries none of the psychological connotations of EMOTION
It may also overlap with FEELING
When asked to define what Impressionism was about, Pissarro replied by
listing the artists the Impressionists liked:
“We like Delacroix, Courbet, Daumier and all those who have
something in their guts.”

15. MAIDSERVANT- Camille Pissarro, 1867
Oil on canvas. 36 1/2 x 28 1/4” (93.6 x 73.7 cm) The Chrysler Museum,
Norfolk, VA (PV53)

By contrast, this painting was done nearly 30 years before
Pissarro shows respect for the maidservant
He also includes a bench, tree trunk, etc.
Yet his paint handling is more traditional
Light comes from the right and highlights the maid’s back
It also creates a swath of light on the ground
But there is no scintillating fragmentation of brushstroke
Pissarro’s paint technique is very traditional
His choice of focusing on the maid’s back is not!
At this time, Pissarro’s sensitivity to the role of servants increased

16. STUDY FOR CAFÉ AU LAIT, 1881
Black chalk. 23 x 17 14” (59.5 x 44 cm). Private Collection

CAFÉ AU LAIT, 1881

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Oil on canvas. 25 1/2 x 21 3/8” (65.3 x 54.8 cm). The Art Institute of
Chicago. Potter Palmer Collection. 1922.436 (PV549)

He observed closely and with kindness on his subject
Pissarro was known for his even temper
He connected to servants as equals

17. THE LITTLE COUNTRY MAID- Camille Pissarro., 1882
Oil on canvas. 25 1/4 x 21” (65 x 54 cm). The Tate Gallery. London.
(PV575)
and
At this time, Pissarro’s sensitivity to the role of servants increased
Pissarro was also fanatical about his own work
His letters to his sons communicate his ardor for his profession
He had passion for its strenuous physical and mental demands

18. GIRL SEWING- Camille Pissarro., 1895
Oil on canvas. 25 5/8 x 21 3/8” Art Institute of Chicago. Gift of Mrs. Leigh
B. Block. 1959,36 (PV934)

This painting was done the same year as his FOOT BATH and BATHER
Notice how all the surface areas are fragmented with short strokes
This exists even though he had abandoned divisionism/Impressionism
His sensitivity to the play of light on various textures is clear

19. GIRL WASHING PLATES- Camille Pissarro, c. 1882
Oil on canvas. 33 1/4 x 25 5/8” (85 x 65.7 cm) Fitzwilliam Museum,
Cambridge, England (PV579)

Pissarro’s choice of subject matter may remind one of Millet’s work
Degas captured the essential distinction:
“Millet? Yes, his sower sows for Humanity. Pissarro’s peasants
work for their bread.”
Even Pissarro noticed this and wrote:
“They are all throwing Millet at my head, but Millet was biblical!
For a Hebrew, there is not much of that in me. It’s curious!”
He opposed Millet’s sentimentality in vehement terms

20. PEASANT UNTANGLING WOOL- Camille Pissarro, 1875
Oil on canvas. 21 1/4 x 18” (55 x 46 cm). Foundation E.G. Buhrle
Collection. Zurich. (PV270)

The family went to Montfoucault around mid-August 1874
This was a few months after the death of their 2nd daughter, Jeanne
It was also a month after the birth of their third son, Felix

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They were distressed and almost penniless
They stayed at the Piettes all summer
Their last stay was during the autumn of 1876
Montfoucault offered Pissarro isolation from Paris and Pontoise
It offered an opportunity to study peasant life in direct terms
Montfoucault was a tiny hamlet, with approximately 50 inhabitants
It was virtually on the border between Brittany and Normandy
The nearest town is 12 to 15 miles
Here a sense of distance and isolation pervades Pissarro’s works
His figures in Montfoucault paintings are static
Montfoucault was a place from which there is nowhere else to go

21. PEASANT WOMAN WITH BASKET- Camille Pissarro, c. 1889
Cogniat, R. (1973?) Pissarro. New York: Crown Publisher.
Oil on canvas. 6 1/4” x 7” Faure Museum, Aix-les-Bains

His form of Impressionism had roots in scientific principles
At 55, he did not fear to commit himself to follow a new path
On February 20, 1889, he wrote to Seurat:
“The execution of my work is not rapid enough, in my opinion, and
there is not the instantaneous reaction of the senses which I deem
essential.”
Pissarro advised a young painter:
“An artist must seek that aspect of nature which is compatible with
his temperament and choose his subject matter more for its form and
color than for its design possibilities. It is futile to outline and
thereby restrict forms…..Paint what you see and what you feel.
Paint freely and without hesitation, for it is important to set down
the first impression….You should have but one master: nature; it is
she you must always consult.”

22. PEASANT WOMAN AT SPINNING WHEEL- Camille Pissarro, 1885-90???
Rewald, J. (1963). Camille Pissarro. NY: Abrams.
Charcoal. Collection of Mr. And Mrs. Lazaro Phillips, Montreal.

This drawing was done during a time of grave financial stress
Lucien had returned to France to do illustrations for periodicals
This was his effort to assist his parents financially
Pissarro was enamored of Seurat’s color theories
He painted his first “divisionist” canvas
He explained new ‘scientific impressionism” to Durand-Ruel, dealer
This shows Pissarro’s openness to new ideas, even at 55 years old

23. LA MERE PRESLY- Camille Pissarro, Montfoucault, 1874
Oil on canvas. 28 1/4 x 23 1/2” (73 x 60 cm). Private collection (PV288)

Some of Pissarro’s women peasants stuck in their immobility
Pissarro visited Montfoucault many times in the mid 1870s
He worked on integrating the figure into the landscape
He created novel approaches
He delineated figures and objects with angular contours

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These are fragmented into many short straight lines
They form a polygonal, almost crystal-like outline
This solved the tension between the figure and its background

24. THE GARDENER, AFTERNOON SUN- Camille Pissarro, ERAGNY, 1899
Oil on canvas. 36 x 25 1/4” (92 x 65 cm). Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart
(PV1079)

Notice the scintillating light in this painting
Pissarro broke up all surfaces into fragmentary refletions
Some say that Impressionism was about painting light or atmosphere
But, they painted light only as it produced shadow!
Light was made visible only through its absence—shadow!
Were they attempting to paint “god,” the creator of light?

25. OLD HOUSES AT ERAGNY- Camille Pissarro, c. 1885
Oil on canvas. 18 x 21” (46 x 54 cm).Zen International Fine Art, Tokyo.
(PV682)

Observe the difference in the way light is handled in this painting
It is not as scintillating as in the last image
The difference is in the technique Pissarro used
Color is not divided and as fragmented as in his later works
It is called Neo-Impressionism
He did a variation of this in his

26. SHEPERDESS BRINGING IN THE SHEEP- Camille Pissarro, 1886
Oil on canvas. 18 x 15” (46 x 38 cm) Private collection (PV692)

It’s almost as if Pissarro put a close-up lens on his eyes!
Yet just in one year, there’s a difference in his paint application
His eyes were opened to new ways of depicting light and shadow

27. SEATED PEASANT, SUNSET-Camille Pissarro, 1892
Oil on canvas. 31 1/2 x 25 1/4” (81 x 65 cm). Private collection (PV 824)

After expressing some satisfaction to his son Lucien at having completed,
SEATED PEASANT, Pissarro defined his new method:
“I stand more than ever for the impression from memory: you get
less the thing itself, but vulgarity goes also, to let the truth,
half seen and felt, emerge.
Further:
“Really Impressionism was nothing but a pure theory of observation,
without losing hold of fantasy, liberty, or grandeur—in a word,
of all that makes an art great.”

28. THE BATHER- Camille Pissarro, 1893
Cogniat, R. (1973?) Pissarro. New York: Crown Publisher

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Oil. 13 3/4 x 10 5/8” National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Chester
Dale Collection.

Pissarro was in his 60s when he painted this and the following two
An instantaneous reaction of the senses occurs here
The woman (is she putting on or taking off her garment?)is idyllic
She is sheltered by a huge tree and a soft bank
A body of water reflects light on her back
She is not far from a city of some sort
Is this a reverie? Was she a ‘real’ person?
Is this an older man’s wishful thinking?

29. BATHER IN THE WOODS- Camille Pissarro, 1895
Oil on canvas. 23 3/4 x 28 1/4” (61 x 73 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of
Art. New York. Bequest of Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, 1929 (PV904)

Camille’s great-grandson, Joachim Pissarro wrote of his forbear
This, and the following painting, may have been done from life
There is a tangible sense of actual leaves, bank, and figure
Light coming from the right illuminates her back, the water, trees
She seems unaware of a viewer

30. THE FOOT BATH- Camille Pissarro, 1895
Oil on canvas. 28 1/4 x 36” (73 x 92 cm). Collection Sara Lee Corporation,
Chicago. (PV903)

A similar approach was taken in this painting
Once again, the woman sits on the bank of a body of water
She is clothed and washes her feet
Her shoes are nearby
Lush foliage shields her from any other people
Is this a fantasy? A paradise

31. COUNTRY GIRL WITH A STICK/SEATED PEASANT-Camille Pissarro, 1881
Oil on canvas. 31 x 25 1/4” (81 x 65 cm). MUSEE D’ORSAY, PARIS (PV540)

In the 1880s, there was a paradoxical striving for simplicity
Pissarro wanted to depict people as his gaze lighted on them
He did not want contortion, distortion, emphasis, or embellishment
In his review of the 7th Impressionist exhibition, a critic wrote:
“Pissarro exhibits an entire series of peasant men and women, and
once again this painter shows himself to us in a new light. The
human figure takes on a biblical air in his (Millet’s) work. But not
any more. Pissarro has entirely detached himself from Millet’s
memory. He paints his country people without false grandeur,
simply as he sees them.”

32. PEASANTS RESTING- Camille Pissarro, 1881

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Oil on canvas. 32 x 25 1/2” (82 x 66 cm). The Toledo Museum of art,
Toledo, Ohio. Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey (PV542)

He was very aware of the price of his individualistic outlook
Was he stubborn? Stiff-necked?
This is an adjective frequently—and biblically—given to Jews!
He shrewdly observed
“too serious to appeal to the masses and not enough exotic tradition to be
understood by the dilettante.”

33. WOMAN AND CHILD AT THE WELL- Camille Pissarro, 1882
Oil on canvas. 31 3/4 x 25 1/8” (81.5 x 66.4 cm)
The Art Institute of Chicago. Potter Palmer Collection. 1922.436 (PV574)
And
Rewald, J. (1963). Camille Pissarro.

Pissarro’s “biblical” quality was attributed to Millet’s influence
His rejection of it is central to Pissarro’s figure paintings
By extension, it is central to Pissarro’s aesthetics
The ”Biblical” quality stands for a sign
It was a gesture, mood, or expression
It referred to an ethereal, religious, or mythical content
Or, it hinted at some form of “beyond”
It may have suggested
An ideal
A lost paradise
A longing for happiness, or
A striving for something other than the present conditions
None of this exists in Pissarro’s figures
They do not carry a message with a lofty content or any ideal
Rather, the glorification is in the fact that they simply: ARE
Their existence is appropriate and sufficient celebration
Pissarro advised one not to impose a meaning on their reveries

34. PEASANTS CHATTING IN THE FARMYARD- Camille Pissarro, Eragny,
1895-1902
Oil on canvas. 31 1/2 X 25 1/4” (81 X 65 CM). Private Collection. France
(PV1272)

1883: Durand-Ruel organized first one-man show of Pissarro
Begins correspondence with Lucien in London
Durand-Ruel opens Impressionists in London
Pissarro was not successful

35. TWO YOUNG PEASANTS CHATTING UNDER THE TREES- Camille
Pissarro, Pontoise, 1881
Oil on canvas. 311/2 x 25 1/4” (81 x 65 cm). Galerie Abels, Cologne (PV541)

Pissarro’s choice of subject matter may remind one of Millet’s work

M. Teck, Ph. D. 12/29/09, 12


Degas captured the essential distinction:
“Millet? Yes, his sower sows for Humanity. Pissarro’s peasants
work for their bread.”
Even Pissarro noticed this and wrote:
“they are all throwing Millet at my head, but Millet was biblical!
For a Hebrew, there is not much of that in me. It’s curious!”
He opposed Millet’s sentimentality in vehement terms

36. PEASANT GATHERING GRASS- Camille Pissarro, 1881
Oil on canvas. 45 1/4 x 35” (116 x 90 cm). Private collection. France
(PV543)

Formal analysis of the composition is a modernist’s approach
The diagonal of the peasant is ‘stopped’ by the tree trunks
Her white scarf and collar contrast with the dark earth
Heavily textured grasses contrast with broad areas of blue
Horizontal background sky balances foreground darkness

37. WOMEN GATHERING GRASS- Camille Pissarro, 1883
Oil on canvas. 25 1/4 x 21” (65 x 54 cm). Private collection. (PV616)

Notice aspects of the composition that lead to formal analysis
That is the aesthetic approach of modernism
The angles of the grass edges lead the viewers eye to the figures
The horizontal landscape stops the eye from going off the canvas
The soft trees contrast with the sharp angles

38. APPLE PICKERS- Camille Pissarro, 1881
Oil on canvas. 25 1/4 x 21” (65 x 54 cm). Private collection. (PV616)

Compositional Analysis:
Verticals of left figure repeated in stick, tree trunk and far figure
Repetition creates emphasis and is a design element in modernism
Diagonal shade area is repeated in row of bushes in back
Figure in lower right is a ‘slice of life’ for highlight reality!

39. APPLE PICKING AT ERAGNY- Camille Pissarro, 1888
Gouache. 18 x 23” (46 x 59 cm).
Collection William Kelly Simpson, New York (PV 1423)

Pissarro put a grid over this painting
He did that in order to convert it to a larger oil painting
He did keep the basic mathematical relationships in converting
This painting is done in Gouache
It is an opaque water-based paint, like poster paint

40. PICKING APPLES- Camille Pissarro, ERAGNY, c. 1888

M. Teck, Ph. D. 12/29/09, 13


Oil on canvas. 23 X 28 1/2” (59 x 72.4 cm). Dallas Museum of Art, Munger
fund (PV726)

This is the painting based on the earlier gouache
Notice how the surface comes ‘alive’ with color
This is the result of many small dots of color placed side by side
The colors ‘mix’ in the eye of the viewer, created a dynamic vibrancy
Note the introduction of curving rows or gullies in the field
The figures are moved further away
This is to introduce the dramatic and scintillating shadow
All of this was consciously thought out by Pissarro as he worked

41. APPLE PICKING AT ERAGNY- Camille Pissarro, 1888
PICKING APPLES- Camille Pissarro, ERAGNY, c. 1888

Now look at them side by side and compare
Fascinating, eh?

42. LA PERE MELON SAWING WOOD- Camille Pissarro, 1879
Oil on canvas. 35 1/4 X 45 5/8” (89 X 117 CM). The Robert Holmes a Court
Collection. Perth, Western Australia (PV499) Private Collection (PV824)

Different angles and forces form an ensemble of orthogonal lines
They infuse the work with an inner dynamism.
A backdrop of greens acts as a tapestry of myriad comma-like touches
This is one of the first signs of Pissarro’s interest in divisionism

43. LA PERE MELON RESTING- Camille Pissarro, 1879
Oil on canvas. 21 x 25 1/4” (54 x 65 cm).
Private collection, New York (PV498)

Pissarro placed Pere Melon in the center of his canvas
He is ‘enclosed’ by the gully at the lower left
As well as the foliage and the basket and hoe on the right
The paint handling of the grasses is dynamic
It contrasts with his blue/white shirt

44. PEASANT DIGGING- Camille Pissarro,, 1882
Oil on canvas. 25 1/4 x 21” (65 x 54 cm)
Private collection. Switzerland (PV577)

Pissarro’s figures are simple and sincere
They are not on show and no pretense animates their action
They have nothing to say:
They are absorbed by their own reverie or their chores
Pissarro gave repeated voice to a dream:
“I believe that there will be another generation who will be more sincere,
more studious, and less malign, who will achieve the dream.”

M. Teck, Ph. D. 12/29/09, 14


(PROPHECY?)
Pissarro was interested in the unfathomable aspect of his figures’
He called their dreams ‘ABSOLUTE LIBERTY”
This was pertinent to the artistic individual factor—the SENSATION

45. FROST, YOUNG PEASANT MAKING A FIRE-Camille Pissarro, 1888
Oil on canvas. 36 1/4 x 16 1/4” (93 x 93 cm)
Sotheby’s New York (PV722)

Was Pissarro’s dream influenced by his Jewish heritage?
“I believe that there will be another generation who will be more
sincere,more studious, and less malign, who will achieve the dream.”
Specifically, “L’Dor v’Dor” (from one generation to the next)…..
Perhaps?

46. MAKING PEA TRELLISES- Camille Pissarro, 1887
Cogniat, R. (1973?) Pissarro. New York: Crown Publisher.
Oil. Faue Museum, Ais les-Bains

He was very aware of the price of his individualistic outlook
Was he stubborn? Stiff-necked?
This is an adjective frequently—and biblically—given to Jews!
He shrewdly observed
“too serious to appeal to the masses and not enough exotic tradition
to be understood by the dilettante.”

47. WOMEN PLANTING PEASTICKS- Camille Pissarro, date?
Thomson, R. (1990). Camille Pissarro. NY: New Amsterdam Books.

Pissarro abhorred any art whose function was to deliver a message
He equated anarchy, art, nature, living, and the beautiful
His new understanding was not
Idealistic nor materialistic
religious nor socialist
literary nor factual
symbolist nor realist
representational nor illustrative
Each of these would hobble or circumscribe his SENSATION
Pissarro’s figures are simple and sincere
They are not on show and no pretense animates their action
They have nothing to say:
They are absorbed by their own reverie or their chores

48. PICKING PEAS- Camille Pissarro,, 1881
Oil on canvas. 23 1/4 x 28 1/4” (60 x 73 cm). Private collection (PV 519)

What can we, who do not pick peas, learn from this painting?

49. PICKING PEAS- Camille Pissarro, 1887

M. Teck, Ph. D. 12/29/09, 15


Gouache. 20 1/4 x 24 1/4” (52 x 63 cm). Private collection (PV1408)

What does this work tell us about their lives?
And about our lives?

50. PICKING PEAS- Camille Pissarro,, ERAGNY, c. 1893
Oil on canvas. 18 x 21 1/2” (45 x 55 cm). The Langmatt Foundation, Sidney
and Jenny Brown, Baden, Switzerland (PV857)

Why would Pissarro focus on the same subject many times?
These last three paintings cover a period of 12 years

51. Camille Pissarro wrote:
“Painting, art in general, enchants me. It is my life. What else matters?
When you put all your soul into a work, all that is noble in you, you
cannot fail to find a kindred soul who understands you, and you do not
need a host of such spirits. Is that not all an artist should wish for?”

Was Pissarro committed to ‘REPAIRING THE WORLD?”
This Jewish tradition (Pirke Avot-Ethics of the Fathers) requires you to be
the best that YOU can be

52. IT IS SAID THAT: THE LOVE OF ART CANNOT BE TAUGHT

53. SO I HOPE I’VE MADE THE ART OF PISSARRO…..

M. Teck, Ph. D. 12/29/09, 16

2009 Artof Pissarro2 Text

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2009 Artof Pissarro2 Text