Exhibition: Camille Pissarro (1830 – 1903)
Art Gallery of NSW – Sydney
19 November 2005 to 19 February 2006
Happy are those who see beautiful things in modest places. Everything is beautiful; the whole thing is to know how to interpret.
This philosophy, expressed to his son, plus his work ethic, are the basis for the prolific number of paintings, etchings and prints that Camille Pissarro managed to produce in his lifetime. He distanced himself and his work from the traditional Academy training and Salon exhibitions of France and consequently did not make much money from his works until very late in life by which time his eyesight had diminished.
His early mentor and tutor was Camille Corot (1796 – 1875) who encouraged him to paint outdoors. Another artist of influence was Gustave Courbet (1819 – 77) who used the then unorthodox method of applying thick oil paint with a palette knife.
Pissarro is known as the ‘Founding Father of Impressionism’. He participated in all eight Impressionist exhibitions held from 1874 to 1886.
His subjects were those of the ordinary, every day sights and events of his time, showing his rejection of the traditional Salon approach to art. This exhibition gives a generous display of the different styles and techniques which Pissarro experimented with during his lifetime.
He experimented with several different styles of painting and also, like Degas, made some extraordinary prints of various types including wood cut and etching.
Factory near Pontoise (1873) is not only a fine example of his Impressionist style but shows the growing industrialism of the time. It is an interesting composition of nature and the man-made environment. Perhaps this led the way for modern day artists such as Jeffrey Smart.
Pissarro may have scorned the Academy training of the day however, his draftsmanship and technical ability shines through his etchings and prints. The deceptively easy technique of the wood cut print is brought to life with his coloured prints Women herb gathering (1893).
These prints may reflect the influence of Japanese art in France at this time. Certainly the oil painting La Place du Theatre Francais (1898) shows a viewpoint from above which may have come about not only through the necessity of his failing health but the influence of the Japanese perspective.
The inclusion of several of Pissarro’s self portraits in this exhibition shows the range of experimental techniques explored through during his lifetime. The earliest gives a feeling of his traditional training while the last gives us an appreciation of the distance he traveled from those beginnings. It shows an elderly, white bearded man in a soft and sketchy technique in contrast with the dark strong tones of the earliest portrait.
This exhibition has something for anyone with an appreciation of the Impressionist school. Pissarro’s experimentation and his working friendships with artists such as Cezanne, Degas and Monet can be seen to have influenced much of his work. We are privileged to have such a wide collection of his work available for our enjoyment.
Reference:
- Leaflet – Art Gallery of NSW
- Book - Impressionists, Berenice Morvan (2002),Paris
- www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
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“La Place du Theatre Francais, (1898)
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