Still Life. Eucalyptus and Chrysanthemums 1935

Lucien Pissarro painted this still life, probably in oil, with eucalyptus and chrysanthemums sometime in his life! The marks are short and choppy, especially in the background, and it feels like he’s letting the white of the canvas peek through – giving the whole scene a kind of luminosity. I can imagine Pissarro setting up his easel, maybe outside or in a bright room, and just going for it, capturing the light as it hit those leaves and flowers. Those blues and greens are so interesting, how they play off the yellows! There's a real sense of observation here, but also a looseness, like he's not trying to nail every detail, but rather get the essence of the scene. That little blue cup has a real presence. You see this kind of thing in his dad’s work too, Camille Pissarro. Painting is a way of looking, of course. It's like they are all in this conversation across time and space, each painter bringing their own voice and vision to the table. It's not about getting it “right”, but embracing the uncertainty.