Ivy Cottage, Coldharbour. Sun and Snow 1916

Lucien Pissarro made this snowy scene of Ivy Cottage with oil on canvas. I imagine him outside in the cold, bundled up and painting quickly, trying to capture the light before it changes. The way he applied the paint, in short, choppy strokes, makes me think of his father, Camille. But Lucien’s got his own thing going on. There’s a softness to the snow, a quietness that feels very personal. The lone figure walking down the road adds a touch of mystery. Where are they going? What are they thinking? It reminds me that painting is so much about asking questions, not answering them. It’s an ongoing conversation, from one artist to another, across time. We look and we respond and we keep the dialogue going.