Artist 101

1.

Portraiture

While Pissarro is best known for revolutionising landscape painting, he also had a lifelong interest in the human condition, and produced some illuminating portraits as a mature artist. His progressive political views are apparent in his choice of subject: as a proponent of equality, he selected servants and labourers for his portraits, representing them with a dignity usually reserved for the wealthy elite.

Tête de jeune fille de profil dite “la Rosa” (1896) is a captivating example of his portraiture. The painting depicts Rosa, a young servant, during an intimate, pensive moment. It is a quiet and introspective scene, imbued with energy from the artist’s vigorous brushstrokes and vivid palette. This work is part of a series of five paintings of Rosa completed by Pissarro in 1895 and 1896, two of which are in public collections.

2.

Pointillist Period

Pissarro was both a founder of Impressionism and one of the first artists to depart from its spontaneous style. In 1886, at what was to be the last Impressionist exhibition, Pissarro joined forces with radical young artists Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, and launched Pointillism. This Post-Impressionist movement adopted a scientific approach to painting, replacing intuitive, visible brushstrokes with carefully applied dots of pure colour.

Meeting Seurat and Signac, who were both 30 years Pissarro’s junior, sparked a surge of creativity in the older artist. Over the next few years, he produced many Pointillist paintings depicting rural peasant life, such as Paysannes ramassant des herbes, Éragny (1886). By 1890, however, he was disillusioned with the technique, and reverted to a style that allowed for more freedom and movement.

3.

The Artist and His Dealer

In 1870, Pissarro met Paul Durand-Ruel, an astute art dealer who immediately saw the artist’s potential. Indeed, he spotted the appeal of Impressionism while it was still being shunned by establishment, and launched the careers of its leading artists, including Monet and Renoir, both in Europe and the US. Durand-Ruel started buying Pissarro’s works straight away and an unwritten agreement was formed: Galerie Durand-Ruel represented the artist for the next 30 years.

Durand-Ruel was committed to Impressionism, and his relationship with Pissarro became strained when the artist ventured into Pointillism. However, as Pissarro returned to his Impressionist roots, the relationship was repaired and Durand-Ruel put on several exhibitions of his paintings throughout the 1890s. Galerie Durand-Ruel acquired more than a third Pissarro’s artistic output during his lifetime, and continued to promote him throughout the 20th century.

4.

Serial Painting

In the final years of his career, Pissarro embarked on yet another a new phase. Inspired by his fellow Impressionists, particularly Monet, he set about mastering serial painting, with characteristic determination. From 1892 until his death in 1903, Pissarro produced an impressive volume of work, in which his experiences of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism combine into a unique visual language.

In his serial paintings, Pissarro explored variations on a theme. Due to his failing health, this was often from the confines of a Parisian hotel room. His series on Rosa depicts the servant in different poses and attitudes at the Hôtel-Restaurant de Rome. In this period, he also set his sights on the bustling city below. He painted series of Paris’ new boulevards, capturing the changing face of the capital as the light altered throughout the day.

5.

On the Market

Pissarro is recognised for his pivotal contributions to both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and his work is highly sought after at auction. Le jardin de Maubuisson, Pontoise, la mère Bellette (1882) is an example of Pissarro’s Impressionist style at full maturity, and was sold by Bonhams for over $1.8 million in 2013. Paintings from his Pointillist oeuvre have proved particularly desirable, with his masterpiece Gelée blanche, jeune paysanne faisant du feu (1888) achieving a record price in recent years.

For collectors of Pissarro and other Impressionist artists, provenance is a key consideration. The unique history of a piece – its owners, exhibitions and literature – is important in determining its value. The provenance of Tête de jeune fille de profil dite “la Rosa” makes it particularly special. This work has been well documented since its date of acquisition in 1896, and was in the collection of the same family for 117 years. When it finally came up for sale in 2013, it set a record for a Pissarro portrait at auction. Impressionist & Modern Art on 13 May is a rare opportunity to acquire an exemplary portrait by the great artist.