Pissarro started doing "series" paintings when he was 62 years old. He would rent a room with an interesting view and work on several canvases, studying various light effects and documenting urban life. I like his paintings of port activity in Rouen so tried copying this one to learn more about his technique. His dabs of paint expertly suggest people, horses, carriages, trams, windows, water, awnings, umbrellas, and so forth. The colors in my version are brighter than the reproduction I consulted but, in any case, it's difficult to get an idea of the true colors of a painting without having seen the original and this one is in a museum in Ontario.
I was not aware of Pissarro's urban landscapes until I came across the book "The Impressionist and the City, Pissarro's Series Paintings," published on the occasion of an exhibit that was held in Dallas, Philadelphia and London in 1992-93. Until then, his series paintings had never been shown together as they are isolated in collections throughout the world. It's incredible that he painted over 300 of these urban views from 1892 until his death in 1903, yet he is known more for his earlier rural landscapes and experiments in pointillism. (An example is Pissarro's "Paysage à Chaponval" in the middle of my page: copies.)
Copy of "Le Pont Boïeldieu à Rouen, temps mouillé" by Camille Pissarro (1896)
Oil on 60x70cm canvas (the original is 73.7x91.4cm)
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