Camille Pissarro: The Audacity of Impressionism

by Anka Muhlstein, Adriana Hunter (Translator)

A Best Book of 2023 by The New Yorker

From the acclaimed biographer and author of Balzac’s Omelette, an engaging new work on the life of “the father of Impressionism” and the role his Jewish background played in his artistic creativity.

The celebrated painter Camille Pissarro (1830–1903) occupied a central place in the artistic scene of his a founding member of the new school of French painting, he was a close friend of Monet, a longtime associate in Degas’s and Mary Cassatt’s experimental work, a support to Cézanne and Gauguin, and a comfort to Van Gogh, and was backed by the great Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel throughout his career. Nevertheless, he felt a persistent sense of being set apart, different, and hard to classify. Settled in France from the age of twenty-five but born in the Caribbean, he was not French and what is more he was Jewish. Although a resolute atheist who never interjected political or religious messages in his art, he was fully aware of the consequences of his lineage.

Drawing on Pissarro’s considerable body of work and a vast collection of letters that show his unrestrained thoughts, Anka Muhlstein offers a nuanced, intimate portrait of the artist whose independent spirit fostered an environment of freedom and autonomy.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Art History, History

318 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2023

About the author

Anka Muhlstein was born in Paris in 1935. She has published biographies of Queen Victoria, James de Rothschild, Cavelier de La Salle, and Astolphe de Custine, a study on Catherine de Médicis, Marie de Médicis, and Anne of Austria, and a double biography, Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart. She is currently writing a volume on Proust as a reader. She has won two prizes from the Académie Française, and the Goncourt Prize for Biography. She and her husband, Louis Begley, have written a book on Venice, Venice for Lovers. They live in New York.

Reviews

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impresionistai ir post-impresionistai yra sena mano meilė. Tad, kaišioju savo spragas. Man rods, lietuviškai nėra išleista monografijų apie jį. Gal vertėtų išverst šią.
Gak kiek sausoka, bet pakankamai informatyvi knyga. Patiko, kad autorė skyrė dėmesio ne tik dailininkui, bet ir tuometinei jo aplinkai - kolegoms ir kultūriniams (vaizduojamo meno) įvykiams.
Man Camille Pissarro artimiausi ir mieliausi Paryžiaus gatvių "portretai".


The Boulevard Montmartre At Night

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know much about Pissaro before reading this book. I guess I thought of him as a second tier impressionist painter, but now I'm much more appreciative of his work and life. And watching the Art Exhibition on film movie about him was a great bonus as it brought many of his paintings to life for me. Pissaro had a very interesting life and was known in some circles as the "father of impressionism." He had many friendships with many of the other impressionist painters and was universally loved for his character and kindness. It took a while for his paintings to sell, but he did finally achieve success in his lifetime. He was also a very loving and attentive father and many of his children and grandchildren became artists as he encouraged their talents.

[Jeffrey Bumiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable and well written but it was more about Pissarro's personal life and less about his work or ideas. I would have preferred the opposite.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well written biography shows us the many sides of Pissarro、the artist, the friend of impressionists, husband, father, and alien living in France. The book is neither too long nor too condensed and offers a rich portrait of a man and his times.

[Felicia Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly 3.5 rounded to 4/5.

Kept me company while on the plane rides to and from Philly to Orlando, much appreciated. Didn’t put me to sleep as other biographies have in the past so we love it for that. Wish there were more illustrations and examples of his paintings, perhaps representative of each era, to round out the narrative — especially given I didn’t have internet to look them up and reference it all. That being said, this book leans more towards painting the bigger picture (ahaha) of his life outside of painting, especially his commitment to family and relationships with his art dealers and patrons + the camaraderie of the whole impressionism squad / coterie. Gained a newfound appreciation for how mellow and fatherly he is compared to other painters of his time (I mean, raising sooo many children to be artists? what an accomplishment and feat to be proud of)

Who should I read next 👀👀👀

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew much about the painter Camille Pissarro before reading this marvelous book by Anka Muhlstein. I have gained a new appreciation for Pissarro’s paintings. Pissarro, I discovered, was a hardworking, loyal, benevolent family man, a prolific artist, as well as a founding and steadfast member of the Impressionist movement. I admire him immensely, not only because of these qualities, but more so when I compare Pissarro to his fellow male artists of his era. Most (I’m talking mainly of European artists here) were either serial womanizers, had severe substance abuse issues, and/or were known for their violent, erratic, and/or vitriolic personalities. Pissarro stands alone as even-tempered, constant, and dedicated. One exception might be Matisse, but Matisse put his art first—case in point—he chose to live in his later years, with his younger assistant over his wife (given her ultimatum).

Muhlstein does a fine job pulling together her research and presenting Pissarro’s life, starting from his birth (on the island of Saint Thomas, then a colony of Denmark) through to his adulthood. He lived the majority of it in Europe—Paris mostly, the epicenter of the art world at the time. Pissarro was, as mentioned, an Impressionist and one of the few within the group who exhibited at every one of the eight Impressionists’ shows. He was loyal, not only to his artist friends but also to his art dealer, Durand-Ruel (even when Durand-Ruel was falling on hard times).

Muhlstein describes the art world in Paris in Pissarro’s time, providing a good discussion about the French Salon and its importance. She discusses the Salon’s resistance to novel painting techniques, ones like Impressionism, which violated the well-established norms of painting. At the time, it was paintings of historical and biblical scenes that were valued, not half-finished paint daubs of vague subjects, as the Salon judges (and public) viewed the Impressionist works.

Another element of Pissarro’s life that pegs him as one of my favorites is his unwavering commitment to his family. First to his wife. He married Julie Vellay when he was in his early twenties, the family cook at the time, which was something his bourgeoisie mother never forgave him (or her) for. Pissarro remained faithful and loyal to her until his death. They had seven children together (one passed away) and of the six, all became artists. Julie did not approve, yet Pissarro encouraged and supported his children to develop their skills and find a career in the arts. Two of his sons became engravers, and one of who founded a book publishing shop. Muhlstein references many of the letters that Pissarro sent to his children, full of encouraging and instructive advice. Given that Pissarro painted over 1500 paintings, his devotion and commitment to his family are remarkable.

The book includes several high-quality images of Pissarro and some of his paintings, enhancing the reading experience. Camille Pissarro: The Audacity of Impressionism is marvelous.

Pictured below is one of my favorite works by Pissarro, "The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning", 1897

[Albert Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was Adam Gopnik’s review of this new biography of Camille Pissarro in the New Yorker that persuaded me to read this book. Pissarro, sometimes dubbed the “Father of Impressionism,” is a painter generally well represented in museums showing impressionist paintings. For example, the National Gallery in Washington DC has 12 Pissarro paintings on display. At the same time, Pissarro’s paintings don’t seem to meet the “test of the crowded room” (Gopnik’s term). Guided museum tours and visitors tend to congregate in front of (the usually nearby) paintings by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, and Degas (not to speak of Van Gogh). Against this backdrop, I found the book to be very good at two tasks. First, providing an account of why Pissarro holds a central place in the impressionist narrative; and, second, explaining why Pissarro is today not regarded as one of the grandees of the impressionist movement. On the first task, the book documents Pissarro’s major influence on many of the key impressionists and post-impressionists, especially Cézanne. At the same time, Pissarro is portrayed as the quintessential nice family guy among a circle of men (Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt being exceptions) that come across as neither nice nor family-oriented. On the second task, the book convincingly argues that Pissarro’s paintings require much effort and concentration to appreciate, something that is especially out of tune with today’s selfie-based and rapidly-moving museum visitation culture.

The book’s print makes reading it a pleasure; the book also contains a useful collection of Pissarro’s key paintings (in color) as well as photos of Pissarro and his family and fellow painters (in black and white).

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know a lot about art history but am always open to learning more; I'm not sure what struck me about this biography of Pissarro, but I picked it up from a display table in my home county's library and really enjoyed it. The latter chapters about the technique of pointilism - where one"thereby [leaves] the fusion to occur in the viewer's eye," as the author so ably puts it - and how this led his fellow early impressionists to dissociate themselves from him were really interesting and illuminating. Pissarro came across as a more forward-thinking, progressive artist and made the younger painters of his era, like Degas and Renoir, seem more static and traditional in their objections to the neo-impressionists of the next generation. I was also impressed by his dedication to his large family and his occasionally difficult relationship with his patron and dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, who believed in his worth but could never convince him that he just couldn't get the prices he wanted for his paintings (particularly in the early years when the impressionists were scorned by the art world). I loved the author's statement near the end that "Painting and bringing up his children constituted the two poles of his existence" (277). I came away from this feeling that I'd learned a lot, not just about Pissarro, a gentle and relentlessly positive man, but about his contemporaries and painting in general as well.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a marvelous account of the life of the impressionist Camille Pissarro. Born in the Caribbean in 1830 of Jewish parents, he did not arrive in France until he was 25. He became close friends with Monet, Cézanne, and Degas and to some extent, Gauguin as well.

Clearly an independent thinker, Pissarro became an atheist (much to his mother’s chagrin), an anarchist, and a bit of a bohemian. While he struggled most of his life with earning enough money to support his lovely wife and their many children; he never tired of offering advice and support to his fellow impressionists, his friends, and relatives. Ever curious, he adopted the Pointillists’ style later in life after being influenced by the work of Seurat.

He organized the first of the salons where the ‘refused’ impressionists exhibited their work, and was always regarded highly despite the rising fame of his peers. Indeed, he participated in each of the eight official Impressionist exhibitions between 1874 and 1886. In addition, Pissarro was influential in including women such as Suzanne Valadon, and Mary Cassatt in their impressionist circles.

Always a family man, Pissarro strongly supported his childrens’ art ambitions. Indeed, four generations of ‘Pissarros’ have become artists through the years. Looking forward to viewing Pissaro's paintings in museums with new eyes!

[PAOLA Alessandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great biography full of information not just abut Pissarro but about the Impressionist movement and their struggle for recognition. Pisarro was a friend to them all, Monet, Sisley, Cezanne, Renoir, Bazille, Degas. Cassat and the book reveals how much these painters interacted, shared ideas about painting and supported each other, Pissarro first of all as a guide and advisor to others at the beginning, and later even financially as Monet lent Pissarro money to buy a house. Part of the work besides painting was insuring their work was sold and the up and down long relationship between Pissarro and his dealer Durand Ruell makes one realize how stressful the financial situation was for these painters. Also covered was the historical period 1830-1903 with its dramatic changes and how these influenced the work of the painters. Highlighted in the book, thanks to the many letters he wrote, is Pissarro's relationship with his children and what a loving and supportive father he was. All in all an engrossing and beautifully written biography of a wonderful man, the father of Impressionism.

[Sue Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anka Muhlstein's biography of Pissarro (1830-1903) was well-written, well-researched and brought to life for me a hardworking and prolific artist, a benevolent family man, a loyal friend and a founding and steadfast member of the Impressionist movement. The book highlights his loyal friendships and mentoring of other artists such as Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Cezanne, Morisot, Cassatt and many other important Impressionist artists. Muhlstein's book provided a picture of Pissaro's inspirations for his art as well as the development of the Impressionist movement and the interactions among the artists.

While he was born in the Virgin Islands (then a Danish colony) to Jewish parents, he lived most of his life in and around Paris, inspired by the light and colors that he brought forth in his paintings.

I'm always struck by reminders of the struggle for these artists to promote their art and make a living when the art is now so revered and valuable!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched book. Sometimes hard to follow because there are SO many people (and particularly artists) mentioned in this book. But that’s unavoidable with the Impressionists. I didn’t realize what an interactive group they were, and I loved learning that Monet was Pissarro’s friend, even watching out for his wife and kids after his death. I also loved his devotion to his kids and grandkids. Here’s a quote/advice…”He gave her [Cocotte, his daughter] plenty of advice, particularly emphasizing that she must always make studies from nature ‘even if it’s less accurate, its better, tracing is bad practice, it is not honest.’”

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first Muhlstein book. Also couldn't finish it because almost any other reading would prove move valuable. Feels like another example of well-researched in secondary sources, but not particularly additive to insights. It's better than Balzac's Omelette and Proust's Library, but only because the book shines a light on Pissarro's didactic contributions to Impressionism. Also always nice to read about an artist who isn't a complete dick. But I suspect I could have found the same in more authoritative biographies or art histories.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book traces the life of Camille Pissarro from its beginnings in the Caribbean to his place in the center of the Impressionist movement where most fellow artist considered him father of the movement. This is told against the background of the turbulent political times and dreadful antisemitism. He struggled most of his life for success while being a wonderful father and supporter of his children and their careers in the arts. I love his art

[Mary A · Rating 4 out of 5]

well-written bio

Muhlstein offers a sympathetic portrait of a painter who today is outshined by other contemporaries like Monet, a great friend, Renoir, Morisot and Degas. She shows the importance of “Papa” Pissarro to the impressionist movement. She discusses his perception of being an outsider in French society having been born in St. Thomas and being Jewish during the Dreyfus affair. I wish there had been more illustrations of his paintings.

[James G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clean, thorough and concise biography that doesn’t go much outside the lines, feeling very much aligned with Pissaro’s approach. At the same time, it feels like you could explore a bit more how & why Pissaro might just be the father of modern art, and an anarchist. But maybe it was all just his life, but I mean, with all those kids (8), he must have been a remarkable man of passions, despite the control his words evidence.

[Dawn Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think an artist or art lover would appreciate this book. I do not have this background and I enjoyed reading it but it was a bit difficult to keep my attention on it due to unfamiliar terms and some French names/words. The last part of the book was most enjoyable for me as Pissarro's street scenes are my favorite.

[Chuang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still worth reading

[Halifax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook.

[Iza Cupial · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5

[Carl R. Feind]

Nice!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the grand old man of Impressionism and his relationship with Monet, Durand Ruel, Berthe Morisot and others.

[Ernest Barela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and informative read. Led to me searching the internet for the many paintings mentioned in this book. Really enjoyed learning about Pissarro the person.

[Brianna Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic overview of Pissarro's life and how he connected to so many other artists. I loved the detail and care that went into Muhlstein's research, contacting family and doing her due diligence to portray him as a multi-faceted person, neither saint nor sinner but a complicated man who never received true recognition or success during his lifetime. I wish there had been more connections made to his life and his painting subjects, his actual works to what he was going through and his experiences at the time, but that was more of an aside. I would definitely read her other books!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something left me puzzled as I read the first chapters of “Camille Pissarro: The Audacity of Impressionism” by Anka Muhlstein (Other Press). The biography tells the story of Pissarro’s life in clear, easy-to-read prose and focuses on his relationship with his family and his work. That’s when it came to me: unlike most of the recent biographical works I’ve read, the focus is on the subject’s life. While the others did offer basic biographical details, their main focus was an analysis of the person’s work as it related to Judaism and Jewish culture.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...