La Pierre D'Avignon, Le Lavandou 1923

Lucien Pissarro made this landscape painting, La Pierre D’Avignon, Le Lavandou, with oil paint, probably en plein air. The whole surface is covered in tiny touches of colour, like he’s knitting the scene together. Up close, you can see how the brushstrokes make up the forms – the way the little dabs of paint build the hills, the road, the cluster of trees, and the little house. The colours are subtle, muted greens and browns, with a pale, hazy sky. Notice that the paint isn't applied thickly. It's more like a stain, allowing the light to bounce off the canvas. It’s a delicate balance; the surface of the canvas almost vibrates with light. Then there’s that little house, nestled in the trees. The red roof seems to echo the warmth of the earth. It feels like a safe place to rest your eyes in the landscape. Pissarro reminds me of Corot, with his gentle touch and love for the natural world. But Pissarro brings his own sensibility to it, a kind of quiet intensity. In the end, this painting is more about feeling than seeing, and it’s open to whatever you bring to it.