The Louvre and the Seine from the Pont Neuf 1902

Camille Pissarro made this oil painting of the Louvre and the Seine from the Pont Neuf sometime around 1902. It’s a beautiful example of how a painter can capture a specific moment. Pissarro's brushstrokes are short and broken, creating a shimmering effect, like sunlight on water, or the feeling of a warm spring afternoon. It's easy to see the influence of Impressionism. The surface has a palpable texture, a mosaic of colors laid side by side. Take a look at the way Pissarro renders the water: he uses strokes of blues, greens, and yellows to suggest movement and light, but also to represent the movement of air, and the way that affects what we see. It’s less about perfect representation and more about the felt experience of being there. You could easily imagine that Turner would have enjoyed it, with his approach to weather and light. Pissarro reminds us that painting is not just about seeing, but about feeling, and about making visible the invisible forces that shape our world.