One of the first impressionists to make a huge contribution to world culture is Camille Pissarro. The paintings of this artist can be recognized by small rough strokes of oil, precise details and a sunny atmosphere. He will be discussed today.
Camille Pissarro: paintings, biography
This man was born into the family of a merchant, and he had little chance of becoming a painter. Pissarro was even about to inherit his father's business until he met Fritz Melby, his first teacher. By that time, the young painter had skills in drawing, as he was doing this in his spare time. The greatest fame brought to the artist named Camille Pissarro paintings with the names:
- "Boulevard Montmartre in Paris";
- "Road to Rocancourt";
- "French Theater Square in Paris";
- "Red Roofs";
- "Barges in La Roche Guillon";
- "Bank of the Oise in Pontoise";
- "Woman Burning Boughs."
Montmartre Boulevard in Paris
This picture is very fresh and bright. It depicts a road, clear skies, a suburb and several trees.
The warm color scheme is chosen very correctly; there are no bright contrasts in the picture.
Bluish, ocher, greenish spots on the canvas look very harmonious together. We can say that all the colors of the picture are pastel. This creates a feeling of comfort.
Many people are used to the sky being blue. However, looking more closely, you can see many shades, as Camille Pissarro did. The paintings of this impressionist are full of reflexes and a variety of color combinations. The main color of the sky is bright turquoise. Pure white is found only in the brightest parts of the clouds. Greenish and buffy shades are much more common in clouds, as if the sky had absorbed the color of grass and sand on the road. The artist added these shades in order to combine heaven and earth. If the sky was only blue, without shades - it would look separately, and the unity of the composition would be lost.
Foreground picture
On the left we see a small village, the roofs of its small houses. Near them is a small lawn of lush green. In the nearest house you can distinguish the same green shutters. The shade of burnt brick goes well with yellow, ocher, gray and brown colors. These houses are simultaneously different in form, but very similar in color. Ahead - a man next to the wagon in which the horse was harnessed. We can understand this in just a few strokes, light and shadow. Doves gathered in a heap on earth looking for something to profit from.
To the right of the road in front of the viewer is a forestation: several tall trees and a long bush. Not far from them stands a woman who, most likely, cuts or watered the plants.
French Theater Square in Paris
This painting by Pissarro is one of the most famous, she is in the Hermitage. Like other canvases by the artist, she is very warm, made in greenish-ocher tones, slightly muffled and light. In the square we see a lot of people, carts. Surprisingly, the whole picture is occupied by land and buildings, not a bit of the sky is visible. Nobody has done it yet, but Camille Pissarro portrayed it. Paintings, a description of why the artist painted in this way, and not otherwise, is an interesting lesson for those who want to understand painting. Considering the work "French Theater Square", the viewer does not see the sky, but this does not create a feeling of heaviness. Only thick crowns of chestnuts and tiny figures of people. In the trees, the artist used a lot of flowers and their shades: there are not only greens, but also reddish, brown, sand shades. In these chestnuts, chiaroscuro is shown masterfully.
In the background are pieces of architecture that did not cover the branches of trees. The buildings are very bright, you can see the elements of columns and stucco near the windows. If you look at the left side of the picture, in the distance you can see two flowering trees in the square, cafes, and store shelves. The artist painted these details with wooden, with dark glass.
A revolutionary in world painting, Camille Pissarro, whose paintings a hundred years after his death brought fortunes, is one of the most interesting artists in history.