Camille Pissarro was born in the Danish West Indies on July 10, 1830. When he was 12 years old, his father sent him to the Savary Academy in Passy, a region close to Paris. Camille began to acknowledge the French masters of painting when he was still a young student.

Camille had a solid foundation in painting and sketching from Monsieur Savary, who advised him to use nature as his subject matter. However, his father granted him a position to work as a freight clerk since he liked Camille to work in his company. He utilized every chance during the following five years at this employment to begin drawing after work.

At 21 years old, Camille was inspired by Fritz Sigfred Georg Melby, a Danish maritime painter, to begin painting professionally. Fritz became both a close friend and his instructor. Camille would later move to Venezuela, where he and Fritz spent the following two years working as artists.  

Life in France

In 1855, painter Pissarro returned to Paris to help Anton Melbye, Fritz’s brother. He also looked at the works of other painters whose methods he found interesting. Camille was particularly interested in artists like Jean-François Millet, Corot, and Charles-François Daubigny. 

He enrolled in several seminars by renowned artists at institutions like the Académie Suisse and the École des Beaux-Arts. 

John Rewald, an art historian, attests that Camille eventually saw these masters’ teaching strategies as “stifling.” As a result, he was prompted to search for alternatives, and Camille gave him those directions.

Corot’s Influence and Paris Salon

Camille’s first paintings were shown at the Salon, which served as the official venue for the annual, biannual art festival considered the largest in the Western world. Academic traditions were used to set standards for what was considered fine art. During this time, Camille worked in a regulated and customary manner.

The Salon approved artist Pissarro’s first work, which was displayed in 1859. His other works around that time were frequently influenced by his teacher—Corot. The two were passionate about painting natural country scenery. 

Corot inspired him to paint nature (Plein air painting). Corot and Gustave Courbet, in his opinion, were declarations of picturesque truth. Camille also appreciated the other artists like Jean-François Millet.

Painting Style

In his early years, Pissarro landscape was his style. Pissarro landscape drawings were influenced by Corot’s Realism and his connection with Melbye. He typically picked natural country settings, everyday peasant life, or images of urban streets as his style transitioned towards Impressionism. 

The composition of his paintings grew less formal and informal as his style transitioned from realism to Impressionism, emphasizing the interaction of light in a particular area, the quality of color, or the ambiance of the time. 

In this sense, Pissarro’s budding Impressionism sought to convey reality via the expression of vibrant spontaneity rather than the exact imitation of sceneries or landscapes. Many people in the art world considered this change in aesthetic approach revolutionary, inspiring art lovers to reevaluate how they see and appreciate art.

Boulevard Montmartre: Afternoon, in the Rain – Camille Pissarro

Beauties of Nature on Canvas

Camille began to comprehend and value the significance of accurately capturing the beauty of nature on canvas. So he began to paint the city and countryside to represent the daily realities of village life. 

In Camille’s opinion, the French landscape is visual and deserves to be painted. Unlike Corot, who preferred to complete his works outside all at once, giving his pieces a more realistic appearance was all about Painter Pissarro. 

Life in London

Camille married Julie Vellay in 1871, and the two of them had seven kids in all. He moved to London when the Franco-Prussian War broke out. Camille met Monet and the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. He spent most of his time creating portraits of the new communities in South London. 

In 1872, he relocated to Pontoise, assembled upcoming artists around him, including Cézanne, and mentored them on how to paint from nature.  

Life as an Impressionist

Camille considered ideas for a rival to the Paris Salon and discussed them with Monet, Renoir, and others. As a result, the group developed the concept of establishing a society with a charter based on neighborhood bakers. Camille participated in the founding of a cooperative by January 1874. 

This group hosted an exhibition in April 1874 in Nadar’s Parisian studio. Camille displayed five art pieces, including Hoar Frost and Pontoise (1873), one of Camille Pissarro’s most famous paintings. The work of other artists was also displayed. 

The artists were all driven by the same aim to document the contemporary environment around them by ensuring they captured the fleeting effects of color and light. Instead of conventional compositions and modeling, French Impressionist artist Pissarro emphasized high-keyed color, tone, and texture. Although Camille preferred rural settings, he shared other painters’ urge to capture the effects of light as it hits objects.

The Pork Butcher 1883 – Camille Pissarro

The Last Years

By 1890, Camille thought he had finally figured out how to attain the harmony he had been aiming for in his paintings. Paul Durand-Ruel successfully displayed the artist’s work at a retrospective in 1892. For the first time, Camille had some monetary security. The largest cemetery in Paris, Père Lachaise Cemetery, is where Camille Pissarro and his family were laid to rest on November 13, 1903.

Most Famous Artworks By Pissarro  

In 20 years, Pissarro had over 1500 paintings, most of which were destroyed during the war in France. Here is the list of Camille Pissarro’s most famous paintings. 

• The Crystal Palace (1871)
• The Hoar Frost (1873)
• Self-Portrait (1873)
• Red Roofs, corner of a village, winter (1877)
• Haymaking, Éragny (1887)
• Two Young Peasant Women (1891-92)
• The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning (1897)
• Afternoon Sunshine, Pont Neuf (1901)

Conclusion 

Pissarro’s artworks contain characteristics of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and, in later works, Neo-impressionism. He loved experimenting with novel concepts and methods from many avant-garde artistic movements. His unique style earned him a place in the league of the most celebrated painters. Pissarro’s work had a huge contribution to the world of art.