Could Have Taught Stones to Draw Correctly: The Humble and Colossal Pissarro

Camille Pissarro was a Danish-French painter celebrated for his influence on Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. By alternating broken brushstrokes with thick passages of paint, Pissarro created atmospheric conditions and built-up forms, fixing his gaze onto farms, quiet towns, and the bustling streets of Paris. "Work at the same time on sky, water, branches, ground, keeping everything going on an equal basis," he once advised. "Don't be afraid of putting on color. Paint generously and unhesitatingly, for it is best not to lose the first impression." Like his urban crowds, Pissarro never stood still; his art was as mobile as the weather effects he so vividly captured. Thus, he was able to exert a decisive influence on Cezanne, Gauguin, and succeeding generations of painters. The well-chosen paintings in this present work can give only an inkling of the artist's vast range and extraordinary sense of purpose.