Fan Project 

Camille Pissarro created this watercolor titled Fan Project. The initial impression is one of tranquil repose and a sense of openness. Soft greens and blues dominate the colour palette. The composition uses a horizontal format with a high horizon line, lending an expansive quality to the landscape, even though the forms are softly rendered, giving the scene an ethereal appearance. Pissarro’s approach to this piece reveals his engagement with Impressionist principles. Rather than depicting the scene with precise detail, he captures the overall impression of light and atmosphere. Notice how the loose brushstrokes and translucent layers of color suggest rather than define the forms, inviting the viewer to actively engage with the visual information. The arc that crowns the whole composition unifies the scene. It reminds us that a work of art is a construction; the artist is not just representing a scene but is also creating a pictorial structure. In this sense, Pissarro transforms a simple scene into a meditation on the act of seeing itself. Ultimately, the artwork embodies an engagement with both the visible world and the formal possibilities of painting.