The Impressionists: Pissarro

The life and art of Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) are depicted in this documentary. The French painter Pissarro was one of the founders of the impressionist art movement, which replaced the dark pallette of traditional art with a lighter, more atmospheric treatment of subjects. These experiments met with critical and public derision, and Pissarro helped organize the first independent impressionist show of 1874. He was a great influence on other painters interested in the use of light and color. Georges Seurat, in particular, became his disciple in the technique of freely applied touches of broken color and the play of light to transform ordinary settings. The film includes location footage and commentary by art historians on this most fascinating of artistic genres.