Camille Pissarro
(Danish/French, 1830–1903)
Biography
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, as seen in his work The Boulevard Montmarte at Night (1897). “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.” Born Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro on July 10, 1830 on the island of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies (present-day US Virgin Islands) to a Jewish-Portuguese family, he was sent to boarding school in France as a 12 year old boy. Returning to St. Thomas at 17, he attempted to join his father’s business while also continuing to draw and paint. Returning to Paris in 1855, he abandoned his former life and enrolled in the studio of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and later attended the Académie Suisse where he befriended the younger artist Paul Cézanne. During the Franco-Prussian War he fled to London, where he met Claude Monet and was influenced by the works of John Constable and Joseph Mallord William Turner he saw in museums. Upon returning to France, Pissarro helped organize the first show dedicated to Impressionist works, marking a pivotal moment in European art. He died in Paris, France on November 13, 1903. Today, the artist’s works are held in the collections of the National Gallery in London, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, among others.
Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction
Le boulevard Montmartre, matinée de printemps, 1897
Sold price: 32,092,776 USD
Camille Pissarro Artworks
Camille Pissarro
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English (US)
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