The Pont Neuf, Rainy Afternoon 1901

Camille Pissarro made "The Pont Neuf, Rainy Afternoon" using oil on canvas, capturing a fleeting moment in Paris. Look at how Pissarro uses these small, dab-like brushstrokes. They build up the image bit by bit. It's like he's not just painting what he sees, but how he sees it. The whole thing feels like a process of discovery, a kind of visual thinking-out-loud. Check out the texture in the buildings on the left, the way he layers the paint to create depth and atmosphere. There's a real physicality to the medium here, a sense of the paint itself becoming part of the scene. The overcast sky is painted in grays and whites, with touches of blue and pink. It creates a sense of atmospheric perspective, pushing the background further away and making the city feel vast and expansive. It's like he's inviting us to step into this world and experience it alongside him. Pissarro’s interest in capturing the effects of light and atmosphere reminds me of Monet. But where Monet goes for sheer shimmer and iridescence, Pissarro has a more grounded, earthy feel. Both of them leave us with so much to think about.