September Fete, Pontoise 1872

Camille Pissarro’s oil on canvas, "September Fete, Pontoise," shows a lively town square bustling with activity under the looming presence of a church. The architectural dominance of the church, with its steeple piercing the sky, is a potent symbol. Churches have served as central gathering places across Europe for centuries, representing not just religious faith but also communal identity. The churchyard was originally a burial place and a place of assembly. The church in this image stands as a silent witness to the ebb and flow of daily life, a constant against the transient nature of the fair. I'm reminded of similar structures throughout art history, from village scenes by Bruegel to the solemn facades in Caspar David Friedrich's landscapes. These structures connect us through collective memory, a shared history of spiritual and social significance. The church is like a subconscious anchor, a motif repeated and reinterpreted through time, always engaging us on a primal level. As we observe the church from Pissarro's painting, we sense the cyclical progression of how symbols resurface and evolve throughout history.