Quai du Pothuis, at Pontoise 1876

Camille Pissarro made this oil on canvas painting, Quai du Pothuis, at Pontoise, using the same techniques that had been around for centuries. But it’s the scene he depicts that makes it modern. Look closely, and you’ll see a factory belching smoke. Pissarro doesn't turn away from this sign of industrial labor. Rather, he integrates it into his composition, contrasting the softness of the water and sky with the firm geometry of the factory chimney. The steamboat is another symbol of the industrial age, quietly sitting on the river. Pissarro’s application of paint is fairly traditional, but it is used here to capture an evolving landscape. Though Pissarro did not literally weave or weld anything, he was very aware of the profound changes in the modes of production in his time, and he took these as seriously as any maker. By combining the old craft of painting with this new reality, he encourages us to see the world around us with fresh eyes.