The Pont Neuf 1902

Camille Pissarro made this painting of the Pont Neuf with oils, presumably on location, although maybe finished in the studio. I can almost feel the artist standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture the light as it dances on the water and buildings. The paint is applied in short, broken strokes, layering color upon color to create a sense of atmosphere and movement. Look at the way the pinks and yellows mix with the grays and blues, creating this hazy, dreamlike effect. There is a constant sense of something emerging. I think the magic is in the way he captured a moment in time. I see the influence of Corot here, but also the beginning of something new, something that would later influence artists like Monet and Sisley. It’s like Pissarro is speaking to us across time, inviting us to see the world through his eyes, and maybe inspiring us to pick up a brush and create our own version of reality.