This Weeks Work of Art - The Old Market in Rouen - by Camille Pissaro (1830-1903). Painted in 1898 and currently on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Pissaro was very acclaimed whilst alive and can claim to have Paul Gaugin and Paul Cezanne amongst his pupils, as well as the American Impressionist Mary Cassat.
I don't know what grabs me about this picture as it goes against most of what I like, in that its an almost traditional picture. Pissaro himself is classed as a French Impressionist, although the level of impressionism is lower in this that you might see in a Monet. It just seems to me that the artist has captured the absolute essence of a market in a French provincial town that would stand its ground even today. In a sense its almost claustrophobic, with all the buildings huddled together and the people bustling their way through. The use of colour is interesting as well, with predominant use of beige and light brown with flashes of Orange and Green to bring the eye to certain areas of the painting. It isn't as challenging as some of the stuff I like, but it is simplistic in certain ways and good on the eye. Perhaps thats the appeal. Comments?
3 comments:
Actually I quite like it too. It's pleasantly ordinary but still rather clever. Not bad for a piss-aro artist.
I could hang this on my wall and be immersed for hours. Does an artist see things differently from us? If we were there would we pick out the many nuisances he has captured? Do you paint? Do believe like some artists that everybody has the ability to paint? You certainly do have varied tastes and thank you for bringing them to me/us! Rgds, Den
Thanks for the comments.No, I don't believe anyone can paint simply because I can't unless its a door or a wall with a good coat of emulsion. In fact I'm so piss poor at painting or drawing I'm still at the matchstick man/woman stage. Maybe thats why I appreciate it so much, and music because despite lessins I still can't play more than one chord. One day i'll get some canvas and oil paints and "create" something but it won't be a picture in the traditional sense...still that never bother Pollock, Kandinsky, Rothko, Miro etc etc and they'd make a bob or two today.
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