Pissarro, Camille (1830-1903)
Le Jardin au grand soleil, Pontoise (Garden in Full Sunlight, Pontoise)
1876
Oil on canvas, 46.5 x 54.4 cm
Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
With its picturesque vista and assemblage of light and textures, this composition demonstrates Pissarro‘s move toward impressionism. The intimate garden scene is set against a backdrop of small buildings. In the center, a figure strolls through the open, tree-lined space. Unlike many other impressionist canvases, however, this painting emphasizes the archetypally provincial qualities of Pontoise rather than its modernity. Pissarro omits, for instance, any references to labor or industry. He also avoids chromatic flamboyance in favor of more natural and muted tones. (BF)