Camille Pissarro

Original Prints: Etchings and Lithographs

One of the founding fathers of impressionism, Camille Pissarro (1830 - 1903) was also the most devoted of the impressionists to printmaking.

In the span of nearly 40 years, he produced over two hundred works in the different media, with a clear predilection for etching.

Although he had constant difficulties in selling his etchings, and the most part were never even editioned in his lifetime, he delighted in elaborating a veritable cuisine of the various techniques, some of which he pioneered, in order to capture the subtle effects of light and atmosphere.

Portrait de Cezanne Portrait of Cezanne Delteil 13, Leymarie & Melot 13 etching, 1874, only known state In 1872, Cezanne settled at Auvers-sur-Oise, where he was to work closely with Pissarro, in a friendship evoked by this ruggedly skillful portrait.

La Rue Damiette à Rouen Rue Damiette in Rouen Delteil 52, Leymarie & Melot 52 etching, 1884, the extremely rare 1st state (of two), before extensive reworking Pissarro's later prints of the Rouen series show rich effects of acid wash, here throwing a narrow street of the old town into deep shade, with the cathedral towering in the background.

La Sarcleuse Woman Weeding Delteil 72, Leymarie & Melot 71 etching with drypoint, 1887 (?), the 2nd state (of two), from the rare edition of only 12 impressions made during Pissarro's lifetime Having settled in Éragny in 1884, Pissarro soon became a keen observer of everyday life in the countryside, here a young farmwoman bent over in an audacious pose, diligently weeding a garden plot.

Vachère au Bord de l'Eau Tending Cows at the Waterside Delteil 93, Leymarie & Melot 93 etching with drypoint, 1890, a superb impression of the exceedingly rare, if not unique, 4th state (of eight) Pissarro made considerable efforts in finalizing this print, even if he never completed an edition in his lifetime;  it is furthermore one of his most well-known etchings, as it was subsequenty published years later in the Gazette des Beaux Arts, May 1904.

Paysans portant du Foin Peasants carrying Hay Delteil 126, Leymarie & Melot 127 drypoint engraving, 1900, the extremely rare 1st state (of seven?), before extensive reworking Pissarro's last engraving, one of the everyday country scenes that he held dear, shows the ease with which he would boldly lay out the subject with drypoint, here in a remarkable working proof with rich burr.

Porteuses de Fagots Women bearing Faggots of Kindling Delteil 153, Leymarie & Melot 174 lithograph, 1896, the only known state Pissarro's long-standing sympathies for the rural proletariat, together with his political commitment to socialist movements, are joined in this fine print, which was a notable contribution to Jean Grave's anarchist journal, Les Temps Nouveaux.

Paysanne portant une Corbeille Peasant Woman carrying a Basket Delteil n.d., Leymarie & Melot n.d., Cailac 196 (the revised edition of Delteil's catalogue raisonné; Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1999) Relief zincography, circa 1900 (?), the only known state, a working proof of an experimental printmaking technique, of the utmost rarity According to Jean Cailac (the expert who directed the artist's Atelier sales in 1928 and 1929, and who first described this rare print therein), Pissarro explored new techniques of printmaking with his son, Lucien, at the time Lucien was engaged in making woodcuts for the collaborative series Travaux des Champs.        next artist  >