Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter
Camille Pissarro
was born,
July 10, 1830,
on the island of St Thomas*
*now in the US Virgin Islands, but then in the Danish West Indies
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Pissarro was a key figure in the history of Impressionism. He was the only artist to show his work in all eight Impressionist group exhibitions; throughout his career he remained dedicated to the idea of such alternative forums of exhibition. He experimented with many styles, including a period when he adopted Georges Seurat’s “pointillist” approach. A supportive friend and mentor to influential artists such as Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin, he was described by many who knew him as “Father Pissarro.” Gauguin, who studied under him, referred to Pissarro
“as a force with which future artists would have to reckon“.
Art historian Diane Kelder notes that it was Pissarro who introduced Gauguin, who was then a young stockbroker studying to become an artist, to Degas and Cézanne. Gauguin, near the end of his career, wrote a letter to a friend in 1902, shortly before Pissarro’s death:
“If we observe the totality of Pissarro’s work, we find there, despite fluctuations, not only an extreme artistic will, never belied, but also an essentially intuitive, purebred art … He was one of my masters and I do not deny him.”
The American impressionist Mary Cassatt, who at one point lived in Paris to study art, and joined his Impressionist group, noted that he was
“such a teacher that he could have taught the stones to draw correctly.”
(From Wikipedia)
Wouldn’t I love to have him as a teacher!!!!!
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So here’s a glimpse of his work & words
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“Paint the essential character of things.”
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“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.”
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“The whole world is beautiful, the art is in the seeing.”
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“At fifty, that is in 1880, I formulated the idea of unity, without being able to render it. At sixty, I am beginning to see the possibility of rendering it.”
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“Cover the canvas at the first go, then work at it until you see nothing more to add.”
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“Don’t be afraid in nature: one must be bold, at the risk of having been deceived and making mistakes.”
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“God takes care of imbeciles, little children and artists.”
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“I began to understand my sensations, to know what I wanted, at around the age of forty – but only vaguely.”
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“I regard it as a waste of time to think only of selling: one forgets one’s art and exaggerates one’s value.”
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“I remember that, although I was full of fervour, I didn’t have the slightest inkling, even at forty, of the deeper side to the movement we were pursuing by instinct. It was in the air!”
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“I sometimes have a horrible fear of turning up a canvas of mine. I’m always afraid of finding a monster in place of the precious jewels I thought I had put there!”
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“It is absurd to look for perfection.”
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“It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character.”
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“Observe that it is a great error to believe that all mediums of art are not closely tied to their time.”
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“When you do a thing with your whole soul and everything that is noble within you, you always find your counterpart.”
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“Work at the same time on sky, water, branches, ground, keeping everything going on an equal basis… Don’t be afraid of putting on colour… Paint generously and unhesitatingly, for it is best not to lose the first impression.”
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Le Boulevard de Montmartre, in various seasons
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Etchings, pastels, inks…
Apple Trees at Pontoise, c. 1872, pastel on paper 
Boulevard de Rochechouart, 1880, pastel on beige wove paper 
Enfant tétant sa mère, drypoint and aquatint 
he Woods at L’Hermitage, Pontoise, 1879, softground etching, aquatint, and drypoint on china paper 
Landscape in Osny’, 1887, etching on Holland paper 
Paysanne Nouant son Foulard, 1882, pastel on paper 
Portrait of Ludovic Piette, c. 1875, pastel on paper 
Tedders of Eragny (Faneuses d’Eragny), 1897, etching, aquatint and dry-point on paper 
View from Upper Norwood, c. 1870, pen and brown ink over pencil on paper
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Self Portraits
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Photos
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Accompanied by
Frédéric Chopin
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Nocturne No.2 In E Flat, Op.9 No.2
performed by
Maurizio Pollini
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For more information on Pissarro:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Pissarro
https://www.camille-pissarro.org/
https://www.wikiart.org/en/camille-pissarro
https://www.camillepissarro.org/
https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/camille-pissarro
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/camille-pissarro-1776
https://www.pissarro.art/artistdetails/231903/camille-pissarro
https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/pissarro-camille
Marina Kanavaki 
So beautiful…
Amazing painter huh?! 😊
One of my favorites. You deserve a tribute just for doing these tributes!
I said it before and I’ll say it again: One of my favorites. You deserve a tribute just for doing these tributes! The music is perfect too.
Awwww… thank you so much, my dearest friend. I’m so happy you’re enjoying these art journeys! 🙏
The Garden of Pontoise is phenomenal! Also adore Le Boulevard de Montmartre, in various seasons.
That is a very rich encounter. Your music choice is perfect, Marina!
Another prolific artist. Maybe it’s because they had no television, computers, etc. that day and night was art, art, art!
I’ve always loved the Impressionist style.
I think many of them may have had bad eyesight. In my 20’s I did a watercolour of a country scene. I had horrible vision, and couldn’t find my glasses. Nonetheless I painted what I saw. Later, when I found my glasses, I looked at my painting. It was quite good for an amateur, and it was Impressionist. That’s when I decided bad eyesight had something todo with the style.
Sending love!!!
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No tv, computers etc was a blessing to all those artists indeed! Can you imagine Van Gogh or Bach for example spending time on social media and tweeting? 🙄 I think that this is the worst time in history for artists (musicians, sculptors, painters etc). Not only they have to do everything by themselves (including socializing), they have to constantly find ways to stand out from an ocean of people (artists and not) .. so when does the artist actually create? Long conversation that I fear doesn’t lead to any positive conclusions, so…
I hadn’t thought about bad eyesight and you’re right! I’d love to see that impressionist painting of yours!
Thank you for taking a journey to his work with me. So happy you enjoyed it!
Many many hugs and Happy Sunday!
🤗😍🤗😍🤗😍🤗
Marina,
Happy Sunday evening, where you are, and have a fab week ahead!
I’m trying to finish my next Art Gown. I have disciplined myself not to open the computer, until 2 hours of sewing in the morning. It’s quite Zen actually! Now, if I could get my discipline to do 1/2 hour exercises everyday.
Then the pandemic housework, cooking… let’s see, that leaves about 1 hour TOPS for the computer. My evenings are supposed to be for drawing.
I enjoy all of your artists journeys.
Much love!
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Good girl!!!!!! That’s the spirit…. and keep it up!
Happy creating, my sweet friend!!!!!!
Love and hugs and wishes for a wonderful week!
ps my last -for at least a month- 3 day visit to Theologos…
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Ohh! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
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Would it be wonderful to be able meet up with Camille Pissarro in a Paris cafe!!
Oh yes it would, and in the process get some advise too!!!! Imagine that! xoxoxoxoxo
Beautiful art! xo
Really is!!!! Hugs and love your way!!!!!! 🤗❤️🤗❤️🤗❤️🤗❤️🤗❤️
Ah! Live your way too ❤️🌺💞💕🥰🌸❤️
😍😍😍That studid autocorrect always changes love to live, among other words! More L O V E to you!!!! ❤🤗❤🤗
I know! Auto correct is a royal pain! Lol 😂
Yep!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
So pretty
Beautiful work! 🙂
It sure is
🙂
It surely sounds like he was a wonderful teacher. And quite right: “The whole world is beautiful, the art is in the seeing.” Such a treat seeing his art accompanied by this lovely music, Marina❣️ 🙏🏻
Thank you, my dear friend! Indeed and that is a wonderful quote too, isn’t it?! I’m so happy you enjoyed this journey to his work. 🙏😊
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