The road 1870

Camille Pissarro made this painting, using oil on canvas, to capture a seemingly simple country road. Yet, the very act of painting *en plein air*, or outdoors, was a radical proposition at this time. Previously, such landscapes were often composed in a studio, or considered less important than historical paintings. Pissarro and his Impressionist contemporaries changed all that, elevating everyday scenes to the level of high art through careful observation and skilled brushwork. Look closely at the texture of the paint. You can see the individual strokes, capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. This emphasis on the materiality of paint, its ability to convey not just representation but also sensation, was key to the Impressionist project. Pissarro's choice of subject matter—a humble road, ordinary people—also speaks to a democratic impulse, a desire to find beauty in the everyday. By focusing on materials, making, and context, we can see how this painting challenges traditional notions of what art should be, opening up new possibilities for creative expression.