Paul-Émile Pissarro, also Paulémile Pissarro or Paul Émile Pissarro (22 August 1884 in

Éragny-sur-Epte Éragny-sur-Epte (, literally ''Éragny on Epte'') is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. In 1884, the artist Camille Pissarro and his family moved from his home near Pontoise to Éragny on the River Epte. This was to be his ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

– 20 January 1972 in

Clécy Clécy () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern France. In 1932 it was awarded the ti ...

in the

department of Calvados Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

, France) was a French

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

and

neo-impressionist Neo-Impressionism is a term coined by French art critic Félix Fénéon in 1886 to describe an art movement founded by Georges Seurat. Seurat's most renowned masterpiece, '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte'', marked the beginn ...

painter. He came from the

Pissarro Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( ; ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but t ...

family of artists.

Life

Paul-Émile Pissarro was the fifth and youngest son of the

painter

Camille Pissarro Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( ; ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but then in the Danish West Indies). ...

and his wife Julia (née Vellay). His siblings were

Lucien Lucien is a male given name. It is the French form of Luciano (disambiguation), Luciano or Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of Lucius. People Given name *Lucien, 3rd Prince Murat (1803–1878), French politician and Prince of Pontecorvo *Lucien ...

, Jeanne, Félix, Georges Henri Manzana, Ludovic Rodolphe and Jeanne (Cocotte).''Pissarro Family Tree.'' In: Stern Pissarro Gallery → ' He grew up in the artistic surroundings of the family household in Paris. Encouraged by his father, he began to draw at an early age. The ''White Horse'', which he drew at five years of age, was praised by the art critic

Octave Mirbeau Octave Henri Marie Mirbeau (; 16 February 1848 – 16 February 1917) was a French novelist, art critic, travel writer, pamphleteer, journalist and playwright, who achieved celebrity in Europe and great success among the public, whilst still app ...

. Camille was also impressed and kept the drawing for his private collection. At fifteen Paul-Émile went to the academy in

Gisors Gisors () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Eure, Normandy (administrative region), Normandy, France. It is located northwest from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Gisors, together with the ...

, but left again after a few months to accompany his father on a painting tour of

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

and

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

. On his return to Paris he went to a private art academy, unlike his siblings, who were mainly taught by their father.''Paul Emile Pissarro, French (1884–1972)'' In: rogallery.com →
online
' On his father's death in 1903, Paul-Émile returned to his mother in Éragny. The painter

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

, who lived in the nearby

Giverny Giverny () is a Communes of France, commune in the northern French Departments of France, department of Eure. after Camille's death he became a teacher and close friend to Paul-Émile. Paul-Émile frequently visited Giverny, where Monet taught him painting and gardening, encouraging him to follow in his father's footsteps: "Work! Study! Do as your father did". Along with his brother Ludovic Rodolphe, Pissarro exhibited for the first time in 1905, showing his impressionist landscape ''Bords de l'Epte à Éragny'' in the ''Salon des Indépendants'' of the

Société des Artistes Indépendants The Société des Artistes Indépendants (, ''Society of Independent Artists'') or Salon des Indépendants was formed in Paris on 29 July 1884. The association began with the organization of massive exhibitions in Paris, choosing the slogan "''sa ...

. While his father had encourage Paul-Émile's artistic efforts, his mother urged him to take up a conventional career. From 1908 on Pissarro worked first as a car mechanic and then as a designer or laces and cloths. In his spare time he continued to paint. His brother

, who lived in London, asked Paul-Émile to send him some watercolours for sale. Encouraged by British interest and the sale of his works, he left his position in the lace factory with the intention of devoting himself to painting. With his wife Berthe (née Bennaiché) he moved to

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

Joachim Pissarro Joachim Pissarro (born 1959) is an art historian, theoretician, curator, educator, and director of the Hunter College Galleries and Bershad Professor of Art History at Hunter College of the City University of New York. His latest book, authored wit ...

, Claire Durand-Ruel Snollaerts: ''Pissarro. Critical catalogue of paintings'', Band 3. Wildenstein Institute Publications, 2005 , S. 577–578 →
online
' By the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he had just seriously started working as an artist. On account of his health he was freed from military service, which left him free to travel and to paint during the war. His brother arranged exhibitions for him in the

New English Art Club The New English Art Club (NEAC) is a society for contemporary artists that was founded in London, England, in 1886 as an alternative venue to the Royal Academy. The NEAC holds an annual exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Mall Galleries ...

(NEAC), the Baillie Gallery and at the

Allied Artists Association The Allied Artists Association (AAA) was an art exhibiting society based in London in the early 20th century. History The Allied Artists Association was founded by Frank Rutter, an art critic of ''The Sunday Times'' newspaper, in 1908. Its pur ...

in London. Paul-Émile's work was heavily influenced by the painter

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...

, whose style his father had urged upon him. Paul-Émile met Cézanne several times in Paris, and his influence became evident in Pissarro's green-gold classical compositions from around 1918 onward. Cézanne also inspired his later use of palette knives rather than brushes. He also experimented with

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other type ...

and printing, and made various

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

s, some of which were first displayed in 1919 by Malcolm C. Salaman.Malcolm C. Salaman: ''The Art of the Woodcut: Masterworks from the 1920s.'' Dover Fine Art, History of Art. Courier Corporation, 2013, , p. 66 →
online
' By the 1920s Paul-Émile Pissarro was established as a

painter. In this period he shared a studio in Paris with the artist

Kees van Dongen Cornelis Theodorus Maria "Kees" van Dongen (26 January 1877 – 28 May 1968) was a Dutch-French painter who was one of the leading Fauves. Van Dongen's early work was influenced by the Hague School and symbolism and it evolved gradually into a ...

. With him and the painters

Maurice de Vlaminck Maurice de Vlaminck (; 4 April 1876 - 11 October 1958) was a French painter. Along with André Derain and Henri Matisse, he is considered one of the principal figures in the Fauve movement, a group of modern artists who from 1904 to 1908 were ...

André Dunoyer de Segonzac André Dunoyer de Segonzac (6 July 1884 – 17 September 1974) was a French painter and graphic artist. Biography Segonzac was born in Boussy-Saint-Antoine and spent his childhood there and in Paris. His parents wanted him to attend the military ...

and

Raoul Dufy Raoul Dufy (; 3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French painter associated with the Fauvist movement. He gained recognition for his vibrant and decorative style, which became popular in various forms, such as textile designs, and public build ...

he travelled and painted in summer, spending winter in Paris. In 1924 he bought a house in

Lyons-la-Forêt Lyons-la-Forêt () is a commune of the Eure department, Normandy, in northwest France. Lyons-la-Forêt has distinctive historical geography, and architecture, and contemporary culture, as a consequence of the Forest of Lyons, and its bocage, and ...

, a small village near Éragny, whose garden (designed by Monet) and surroundings offered him subjects for paintings, in particular the pastures, meadows and hills through which the river

Epte The Epte () is a river in Seine-Maritime and Eure, in Normandy, France. It is a right tributary of the Seine, long. The river rises in Seine-Maritime in the Pays de Bray, near Forges-les-Eaux, and empties into the Seine not far from Giverny. O ...

peacefully flows. In the late 1920s and early 1930s Paul-Émile finally found his person style and reached the summit of his artistic development. In 1930, on the recommendation of Raoul Dufy, he travelled for the first time in the Suisse Normande where the river

Orne Orne (; or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Le Vey Le Vey () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Geography The commune is part of the area known as Suisse Normande. The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamle ...

. The blue hills, green meadows and peaceful waters of the river provided Pissarro with a new environment for his artistic work. He set up a studio in a

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily for regular dwelling. Most houseboats are not motorized, as they are usually moored or kept stationary, fixed at a Berth (moorings), berth, and often tethered to ...

– a converted rowing boat in his garden on the banks for the Orne – in which he could concentrate on his favourite subject, reflections in still waters. In this period he abandoned unmixed colours and deployed a palette with many mixed colours until finally he used brushes less and less and palette knives more and more. In 1935 Pissarro separated from his wife Berthe. In 1937, together with his second wife Yvonne Beaupel, he bought the house in Clécy in which he lived for the rest of his life. He had three children with Yvonne, Hugues Claude, Yvon and Véra; both sons also became artists. Many of the works that he produced in Clécy were exhibited in the following thirty years in the ''Salon des Indépendants''. In 1967 Paul-Émile Pissarro had his first solo exhibition in the United States, in the Wally Findlay gallery in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, which brought broader recognition for his work and a degree of success as a painter which few other members of the

family achieved. After his death in 1972 Paul-Émile Pissarro's works were exhibited internationally several times.''Paulémile Pissarro (1884–1972) '' In: Stern Pissarro Gallery → ' He was buried in the

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

in Paris.

Work

Paul-Émile Pissarro painted

portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...

s and

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

s. He painted small villages in the

Midi Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...

such as Treignac et

Uzerche Uzerche (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Corrèze Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region of central France. In 1787, the English writer Arthur Young described the town as "the pearl of ...

, the forests of

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

and the

Marais Poitevin The Marais Poitevin () or Poitevin Marsh is a large area of marshland in the former province of Poitou in western France. It is a remnant of what was the former . The western zone near the sea (about two-thirds of the area) is called the "dry ...

Selected works

Critical reception

In New York, the ''Arts Magazine'' reported in 1970:Arts Magazine, Volume 45. Art Digest Inc., New York City 1970 →
online
' : Paulemile ''(sic!)'' Pissarro's landscapes have no stylistic connections with those of his famous father. This is particularly true of his color, which does not interpret light and shade in terms of complementary hues. What Paulemile seeks is the solidity that Impressionism dissolved into colored light.

Literatur

* Stern Art Dealers: ''Paulémile Pissarro, 1884–1972, Retrospective Exhibition: Stern Art Dealers, London, 24th November to 20th December 1997.'' London 1997 * Anne Thorold, Kristen Erickson: ''Camille Pissarro and his family: the Pissarro collection in the Ashmolean Museum.'' Biografie und Autobiografie.

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...

, 1993, p. 74 * Adrian M. Darmon (ed.): ''Around Jewish Art: A Dictionary of Painters, Sculptors, and Photographers'' Carnot, 2003, . Entry ''Paulémile Pissarro'', p. 93 →
online
' * (in French) Charles Kunstler: ''Trente-neuf reproductions de tableaux dont trois portraits par C. Pissarro.'' Girard & Brunino, Paris 1928 * * (in German) Hans Vollmer: ''Pissarro, Paul Emile'' in ''Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler des XX. Jahrhunderts'' Vol 3: 3: K–P, p. 596. E. A. Seemann, Leipzig 1956

Links

* ''Gemälde von Paul Émile Pissarro'' In: Stern Pissarro Gallery →
online
'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pissarro, Paul-Émile Paul-Émile 1884 births 1972 deaths French Impressionist painters 20th-century French Sephardi Jews Jewish painters 20th-century French painters French male painters French people of Portuguese-Jewish descent Sibling artists 20th-century French male artists