Do you think this painting by Pissarro is kind of dull? How would you fix it?

Question

http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=820

Answer 1

I wouldn’t do a thing to change it…..

Camille Pissarro portrays the longing for the world in his paintings. If you notice a lot of his work is of “an outsider that is looking in.”

Pissarro was Jewish and because of his outward appearance as such he was ridiculed and mocked in public. This is a known fact and written about in many books. That is why many of his paintings even look as though they were painted from a window view, because they were. He spent most of his time painting indoors to stay away from the public. Kind of a shame that someone who gives us great art and pleasing to look at had to do it hidden away from the world.

Answer 2

Hello. I wouldn't say dull but rather not as aesceticaly pleasing as another painting (say like by Renoir, Monet, etc.). I think the artist is trying to convey a sense of the atmosphere, the time of day, and so give an essential mood for the landscape. Now if I could fix it, I think I'd put a lightsource (i.e. sun in upper righthand corner for the east) directly in the image with bluer skies, have the trees look more fleshed or full), put a small pond in it perhaps, and then just a small patch of colorful flowers to add some more lively colors. I think I'd make the foliage more colorful to show it's actually autumn. I think it needs more colors that would compliment the fall foliage and enhance the theme. Just a few thoughts.

Answer 3

It is dull. Camille Pissarro was thinking "taches" instead of color, I think. I wouldn't say that the day was necessarily overcast, but that Pissarro completed that painting in the studio. Even cloudy days have loads of color for the impressionist. I am one! I have learned to see the little spots of color, without the aid of drugs, thank you. Cloudy days are full of pinks and lavenders and even oranges. That paintings needs warmth. I'd glaze it with orange. Because glazes darken things, I'd go back into it with lots of tints. It needs yellow. Maybe Pissarro was afraid of yellow at that time.

Then again, Pissarro experimented a lot. I'm not overly fond of his pointillist experiments.

What would you do?

Lynne

Answer 4

I guess your reaction to Pissarro's painting style is your own concern. I don't think I would use the word "dull", however. And I certainly don't want to "fix" it. The artist used a certain style of painting, and he chose the subject, and the brush strokes to express his artisitic vision. It is not "right" or "wrong"; it is his style. It is not some examination you can "correct" or "fix".

Impressionism is the expression of light and color and painting technique. It is not a photograph, attempting to recreate exactly a scene. That was the original criticism of the French Impressionists--one critic of the French Academy wrote that a painting was not realistic--it only appeared half-finished, and gave only a mere "impression" of the scene. Of course, that is the style that art connoiseurs pay millions for today. (One of his paintings of trees, was auctioned by Christie's in London a month ago....It went for $4 million. (I don't think the person who bought it wanted to "fix" it.)

Answer 5

Pissarro was considered one of the first impressionist and sometimes called the "Father of Impressionism." Some of his paintings are selling for over $4 million dollars. So with that in mind I am inclined to take a second and third look at his paintings and can see the beginnings of impressionism and see it has grown in his later paintings.

This painting is one of his earlier paintings and yet you can see the impressionistic handling of the garden in the background. I think it is quite nice.

~ edit ~

Claude Monet of course was always considered THE "Father of Impressionism."

Answer 6

I like the picture as it is. I particularly like how the all the roofs draw lines towards the two people in the image. Also the sky about the red roof is so calm looking, almost peaceful.

Answer 7

If you cropped the picture to where just the people were front and center, the painting would be much better. People are far more interesting than scenery, in my opinion.

Answer 8

Yes it's dull! I prefer more vivid colors! Pissaro did better paintings! That's not one of his representatives!

Answer 9

No it’s cool. If drew it I would put a sun set in the background.

Answer 10

it is very dull...i dont see any autumn in it at all...he should have added some red and orange...it also doesnt have a very good sense of composition....