Les Quais À Rouen 

Camille Pissarro made this atmospheric rendering of Les Quais À Rouen using watercolor and graphite. These materials have a wonderful ability to capture light, and here they evoke the breezy atmosphere of a bustling port. The swift application of thin washes suggests that Pissarro painted "en plein air," quickly capturing the light and transient conditions of a scene. Rouen was a major commercial center, and its docks would have been full of laborers loading and unloading cargo. But Pissarro shows us well-dressed figures strolling along the river, with a lounging dog at their feet. The artist's approach emphasizes the bourgeoisie enjoying the fruits of industry, rather than the efforts of the working class. By focusing on the materials and process behind this watercolor, we begin to understand the subtle ways that Pissarro's work engages with issues of labor, leisure, and class in modern France.