Camille Pissarro, Statue d’Henri IV, matin, soleil d’hiver (Statue of Henri-IV, Morning, Winter Sunlight), 1900. Oil on canvas. 1951-1-2
Statue of Henri IV in Paris. Photo Credit to Wikimedia Commons.
Resource

Guiding questions:

What is going on in the painting? Where is this place?

Notice the colors. What time of year do you think it is? What season?

  • This is a city plaza with a large statue of a man on his horse. There is a river with boats and a bridge. A few people are in the painting, including three men talking to each other, a woman carrying something on her shoulder, and two people walking.
  • The long shadows and colorful sky make it looks like it’s at sunrise or sunset. The cooler tones of the picture make it feel cold. From the almost barren tree branches and the warmly dressed people, we can tell that it is winter.

Let’s take a closer look at the style of this painting. Try and describe the colors and brushstrokes of this artwork.

  • The artists used mainly warm pinks and cool blues in the picture.
  • There are also other colors including, reds, browns, greens, and grey.
  • When you look up close, the colors are mixed together, and the image is kind of blurry. The artist repeatedly painted some of the areas to create this kind of look. When you take a step back, all of the strokes and colors in the painting come together beautifully.