Camille Pissarro
French, 1830-1903
View of a Farm in Osny, 1883 ca.
oil on canvas
27 in. x 49 in.
Michael Armand Hammer and the Armand Hammer Foundation
Loan
Camille Pissarro, Self Portrait, 1873
“The whole world is beautiful; the art is in the seeing.” - Camille Pissarro
"Work at the same time on sky, water, branches, ground, keeping everything going on an equal basis... Don't be afraid of putting on color... Paint generously and unhesitatingly, for it is best not to lose the first impression." - Camille Pissarro
RESEARCH PAPER
Camille Pissarro was a pivotal figure in the development of Impressionist art in the 19th century. Often considered the father of Impressionism, it was his artistic vision and innovative approach to art that had a profound impact on the course of the Impressionist movement.
In “View of a Farm in Osny”, Camille Pissarro reflects his deep connection to the French countryside, capturing the essence of its natural beauty and his fascination with scenes of everyday life while exploring the effects of light and color in nature, creating a sense of balance and harmony. Pissarro's use of color in his landscape is both vibrant and nuanced. He uses a rich palette and staccato brushstrokes to convey shimmering light giving us a feeling of movement which infuses his composition with a sense of vitality on a warm summer day. Pissarro uses varied brushwork and impasto to convey texture and tactile qualities in his lush landscape. There is a fluid and gestural quality in his brushstrokes that contribute to the dynamic and lively nature of this landscape, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the composition.
The horizontal dark green draws attention to the animals in the field and leads our eye to the right in the foreground. The diagonal line of green then draws us toward the rural buildings, trees and sky then down to the left to an implied figure in the orchard. Using warm colors that advance forward in the foreground and cool colors that recede, Pissarro guides the viewer's gaze through the countryside giving his work a sense of depth and dimension.
These elements underscore Pissarro's art and his true commitment to capturing the essence of nature's beauty and the fleeting moments of everyday life. This can be seen in his landscapes, rural scenes and urban vistas. Pissarro's commitment to truth in art and his keen observation of the interplay between light and color became the hallmarks of his impressionist style.
Pissarro was born on the Caribbean island of St Thomas July 10, 1830. Sent to boarding school in France, Pissarro returned 6 years later and was expected to work in his father’s shop but his passion for art was much too strong. After a long struggle Pissarro left St. Thomas and arrived in Paris in 1955 where he encountered the artists of the Barbizon school of art. Pissarro studied under the French artist Jean-Baptiste Corot, Gustave Courbet and Charles Francois Daubigny. He enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and Academia Suisse. Corot was very influential in encouraging Pissarro to begin painting in the technique of “en plein air,” working outdoors, to capture the fleeting effects of light and color and atmospheric conditions in nature, developing his own unique style which set the stage for the Impressionist movement.
Camille Pissarro, the oldest of the group, met fellow Impressionists Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Degas, Cassette and Morisot. It was an exciting time in art. The science of light and optics drew the attention of the Impressionists. New chemically produced paints in tubes gave them freedom.
They saw the outdoors differently. Where traditional artists sketched outdoors but finished their work in the studio these artists could paint directly outdoors on portable easels developing their own unique style. Pissarro was committed to painting outdoors, especially the countryside. He was less interested in reflections of water and effects of clouds than the other Impressionists. Rather, his paintings reflect the more solid forms and seasonal changes of country life.
Not being accepted by the Academic Salon of the day and a refusal to conform to traditional artistic norms, drove Pissarro to help establish a new collective to show Impressionist art. In 1874 the group held their first Impressionist Exhibition which shocked and horrified the critics. Pissarro was the only painter to exhibit in all eight Impressionists shows and was the one who invited younger artists like Cezanne and Paul Gauguin into the group. Paul Cezanne considered Pissarro a father figure to the young impressionists.
Pissarro worked closely with the artist of the time, his guidance and support was instrumental in shaping the artistic direction of the Impressionist movement. Despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles throughout his career, including financial struggles and the turmoil of war, Pissarro remained steadfast in his pursuit of artistic innovation and his dedication to his craft, solidifying his legacy as a pioneering force in the art world.
Prepared for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Docent Council by Paula Campanelli, February 2024
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cartwright, Mark (2022, April 2012). Camille Pissarro. World History Encyclopedia.https://www.worldhistory.org/Camille_Pissarro/
Freeman, Julian. ART A CRASH COURSE, The Ivy Press Limited, 1998.
Greenway, Shirley. Art: an A-Z guide, Franklin Watts, a division of Grolier Publishing.
Hoving, Thomas. Art for Dummies, IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1999.
Knapp, Ruth and Lehmberg, Janice. Museum Guides for Kids Impressionist Art, Davis Publications, Inc., 1998.
Little, Stephen. …isms, Understanding Art, UNIVERSE PUBLISHING, a division of Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2004
The Art Story. (25 December 2014). Camille Pissarro. TheArtStory.org.
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/pissarro-camille/
COMMENTS
This painting was done at the end of what is usually known as Pissarro’s Pontoise period (1866-1883), when the artist painted almost exclusively outdoors in the environs of his home in a small town in the Ile-de-France. Like many of the landscape specialists of his generation, Pissarro felt compelled to seek out and eventually exhaust the pictorial interest of a particular place. The move to the nearby village of Osny meant a renewed source of Virgilian views of the land such as this one, in which the agrarian harmony of nature harnessed for its bounty is the subject. Although rooted in close observation of the given motif, this composition is also highly constructed. The repeated, feathery flicks of pigment adhere to the flatness of the picture plane, even as their textural variety manages to communicate the soft warmth of sunlit country air and the movement of the wind-blown clouds. This balance between representational efficacy and compositional rigor is a hallmark of Pissarro’s art.
- Joachim Pissarro, Camille Pissarro, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1993