In the hospital 

Camille Pissarro made this drawing of a hospital interior, using ink on paper, sometime during his career as an Impressionist artist in France. Although Pissarro is most well known for his landscape paintings, this work offers us a glimpse into the social realities of late 19th-century France. We see a crowded hospital ward, with patients lying in rows of beds and attended by medical staff and nuns. The drawing reflects the growing concern for public health and welfare that emerged in Europe during this period, as well as the role of religious institutions in providing care for the sick and poor. Pissarro's choice of subject matter can be seen as part of a broader trend among artists to engage with contemporary social issues and depict scenes from everyday life. To fully understand the context of this drawing, we might turn to historical archives and studies of public health, medicine, and social welfare in 19th-century France. By situating Pissarro's work within its social and institutional context, we can gain a deeper appreciation of its meaning and significance.