CAMILLE PISSARRO (French, 1831-1903). L'église de Knokke, 1894. Gouache and watercolor on paper. 10-1/4 x 8-1/4 inches (...

Description

CAMILLE PISSARRO (French, 1831-1903)
L'église de Knokke, 1894
Gouache and watercolor on paper
10-1/4 x 8-1/4 inches (25.9 x 21.1 cm)
Stamped lower right

PROVENANCE:
Estate of the artist
Sam Salz, New York
Mathilda Goldman, New York
Christie's New York, Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper, November 7, 2001 (lot 413)
Private Collection, Wake Forest, NC
Private Collection, Chapel Hill, NC

NOTE:
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) was known not only for his artistic contributions to Impressionism, but for the complex theories that were applied to the movement. When he was younger he studied under Camille Corot; but it was later in life that his persistent quest for artistic improvement lead him to lead both writings and discussions with such artists as Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and many others. Pissarro's works are distinguished by his perception and manipulation of light. Light to Pissarro was inseparable from the subjects it illuminated and therefore could be treated as a distinct form. He was the only artist to show at all eight Paris Impressionist Exhibitions (1874-1886) and was a major influence on Post-Impressionism influencing such artists as Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent van Gogh.

Camille Pissarro completed fourteen canvas paintings between July and September of 1894, in the Belgian coastal town of Knokke. The works created there cover the range of landscape, the livelihood of the town, and the people of Knokke. "L'Èglise De Knokke", 1894 a wonderful gouache and watercolor over black conté crayon on paper depicts the essence of Knokke. The main subject is the church, complete with steeple and stained glass windows, surrounded by lush, rich, and varied green landscape that is balanced by the brilliantly lit sky composed of rolling pink and blue clouds. Light can be seen throughout the work, both in the colored and the brightly lit negative space.

Pissarro did not complete all the works he painted in the Belgian resort town, however the experience must have had a tremendous impact on his work because some of the compositions he created at Knokke were reworked and were re-dated as late as 1902.

More information about CAMILLE PISSARRO. See also: Pissarro, Camille, Camille Pissarro, Pissaro, Camille, Pissaro, Camille Jacob.

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