Pissarro's palette and brushwork changed from one period of his career to another, but his general approach to his paintings was a constant factor. His philosophy of landscape painting is set out in a letter of about 1896 to a young painter.
"Look for the kind of nature that suits your temperament. The motif should be observed more for shape and colour than for drawing ... Precise drawing is dry and hampers the impression of the whole ... it is the brushstroke of the right value and colour which should produce the drawings ... Don't work bit by bit, but paint everything at once by placing tones everywhere, with brushstrokes of the right colour and value, while noticing what is alongside. Use small brushstrokes and try to put down your perceptions immediately ... Cover the canvas at the first go and then work until you see nothing more to add. Observe, the aerial perspective well, from foreground to the horizon, the reflections of sky, of foliage. Don't be afraid of putting on colour, refine the work little by little. Don't proceed according to rules and principles, but paint what you observe and feel. Paint generously and unhesitatingly, for it is best not to lose the first impression. Don't be timid in the presence of nature; one must be bold at the risk of being deceived and making mistakes. One must have only one teacher - nature; she is the one always to be consulted."
Pissarro's palette and brushwork changed from one period of his career to another, but his general approach to his paintings was a constant factor. His philosophy of landscape painting is set out in a letter of about 1896 to a young painter.
Chronology
