On the Dart 1922

Lucien Pissarro made 'On the Dart' with oil on canvas. The subdued, hazy light feels as though it has been coaxed into being, dab by dab. Imagine Pissarro standing there, squinting at the scene, trying to find an equivalent for the river Dart in the language of paint. You can see the influence of his father, Camille, but Lucien is doing his own thing, simplifying what he sees into small, almost mosaic-like touches. Look at how he renders the rooftops, the gentle undulation of the hills, and the way the water reflects the sky. It’s a quiet, contemplative painting, like he’s trying to capture a feeling more than a photographic likeness. You sense he is working within the pointillist tradition, building up an image from discrete dots of color. It’s nice to think of artists like the Pissarros having this silent dialogue with each other through the generations. Each one picks up the brush and finds new ways of seeing.