Pissarro's People

Book excerpt: KEYNOTE: This definitive portrait of Camille Pissarro by one of the world's foremost authorities on Impressionism and French painting reveals the deep connection between Pissarro's humanitarian concerns and his creative output. Throughout his career, the Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro produced a vast oeuvre of paintings, drawings, and prints inspired by his fascination with and commitment to politics. Many of these works reflect the tensions between his anarchist ideals and the realities of life in a capitalist society; however, most examinations of Pissarro have approached his art and politics as separate spheres. Published to accompany a major exhibition, this survey by a renowned expert on Impressionist painting offers a selection of canvases and works on paper that embody Pissarro's pictorial humanism at the highest level. Exhaustive archival study, interviews with surviving family members, and research drawn from thousands of newly discovered letters inform this rich and authoritative book. Including individual portraits of each of the family members Pissarro so often inserted into his paintings, it also examines his relationships with fellow artists, writers, neighbors, merchants, and domestic servants. The result is a refreshing and landmark reconsideration of the artist's magnificent body of work. AUTHOR: Richard R. Brettell has taught at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, Yale University, and Harvard University, and is presently Margaret M. McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is the author of numerous books on painting and Impressionism. ILLUSTRATIONS 275 colour illustrations