Camille Pissarro

Impressionist patriarch Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) was the only artist to exhibit at all eight Paris Impressionist exhibitions from 1874 to 1886. Art historian John Rewald called him "the dean of the Impressionist painters" for both his age and his generous mentorship. Pissarro specialized in rural landscapes and scenes of French peasant life, painting outdoors to capture natural light. In the 1880s, he explored Pointillism with Seurat before returning to his earlier style.

Born in the Caribbean on St. Thomas, Pissarro arrived in Paris in 1855, drawn by Corot's paintings at the Universal Exposition. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and Academie Suisse, meeting Monet, Cezanne, and Renoir. His patient mentorship shaped generations: he taught Cezanne, encouraged Gauguin and Van Gogh, and befriended the young Seurat. Pissarro acted as "father figure" to all four major Post-Impressionists. His Boulevard Montmartre series captures Paris from his hotel window at different hours. The National Gallery in London, Musee d'Orsay, and Metropolitan Museum hold important works.