French Impressionist painter, Camille Pissarro, was a significant artist during his lifetime. (from 1830 to 1903). He is one of the oldest and most methodical artists of the impressionist movement and was often referred to as the “Father of Impressionism” for his ongoing involvement and mentorship for young artists of the time like Paul Gauguin.

Camille Pissarro spent his early life from age 12 in boarding school in Passy, which is now one of the richest areas in Paris. It was there that he showed his talent for art and how he first was enriched with the collection at the Louvre. He ended up settling in Paris, France for the majority of his life after schooling. Only leaving his home for a year due to the Franco-Prussian War where he settled in Crystal Palace, London. Side note from this, I looked up where he stayed in Crystal Palace on the map and it is now converted into a pizzeria. At the time of course I had no idea, but I went to this Pizzeria last year in December with my family. My Uncle and Aunt live only five doors down, small world!

His Legacy

Camille Pissarro as a young artist in France painted both rural and urban settings in the French lifestyle. He also would paint the landscapes of his childhood, the West Indies by memory after leaving the family business behind to become an artist. He was a mentor for many young artists and was an inspiration to them too. Pissarro was even socially involved with other impressionist artists that included Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet and Armand Guillaumin. From Monet’s connections he met other artists such as Alfred Sisley and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. He would debate with them on the system and opposed the standards that were taught in his up bringing. These Impressionist painters all came together to create their own Impressionist Exhibition. Pissarro was the only artist that managed to attend all eight of the exhibits they had coordinated.

It has always been underestimated the influence on the Impressionist Movement he had but in actual fact he was a primary developer of the technique. He was an impressionist painter all his long life but five years where he tried Neo-Impressionism but preferred a purer form of impressionism. Camille Pissarro was not the most successful artist and most of his life he was poor and only sold a handful of paintings in his lifetime. Now, some of his works are worth millions.

Citation

The Story of Art (pg. 522-523)

https://www.camille-pissarro.org

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Camille-Pissarro