Pissarro, Camille (1830-1903)
Place du Théâtre-Français, effet de brouillard (Place du Theatre Francais: Fog Effect)
1897
Oil on canvas, 54.61 × 66.36 cm
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas
Pissarro painted Place du Théâtre Français from his room at the Grand Hôtel du Louvre. In a series of 15 works of the same subject, Pissarro portrayed the effect of different light and weather on the scene. Here, the wide Parisian plaza is shrouded in wintry fog, painted in hazy pink and purple hues. Pissarro used the perspective of the hotel’s second floor to his advantage, adopting a bird’s-eye view to capture the dynamism of the modern city. Pissarro used sketchy brushstrokes to convey the movement of horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians on the street below. (DMA)
Compare:
Pissarro, Camille (1830-1903)
Place du Théâtre-Français au printemps
1898
Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg