At Éragny, Pissarro quickly transformed the barn into a working studio where he found refuge and inspiration. In a short time, the family planted fruit trees and a vegetable garden. The apple and pear trees provided regular motifs to paint, as well as shade and climbing adventures for the children. Tall grasses, large rolling pastures, and wooded hills led to the banks of the Epte River at the back of the property. Pissarro would take long walks, often with his rolling easel, the quiet only broken by children’s laughter and barks from the family’s dog.
In this space, explore Pissarro’s studio and gardens under the skies of Éragny. A soundscape by contemporary composer and artist Nathan Hall aims to heighten our senses.
Pissarro’s studio at Éragny, about 1901. Courtesy Pissarro Family Archives
Pissarro painting on his custom-built rolling easel in the orchard at Éragny, late 1890s. Photo by Antonin Personnaz, courtesy Lempertz
Éragny, August 13, 1893
My dear Lucien,
The weather is very beautiful here except for a few storms and the unbearable heat. I am working outdoors, hard. I have a number of things finished, figures and landscapes, which I shall try to sell, for our funds decrease under our eyes. We will have to pay for masons, carpenters, and locksmiths who are rebuilding the loft and my studio in the barn and making repairs all around…The woodwork of the window in the studio is partly done, the light will be superb.
Your affectionate father,
C. Pissarro
Éragny, August 27, 1893
My dear Lucien,
My studio is taking form. They are setting the ceiling to it… I will have a large enough window on the west side, which I would have liked to be square-shaped, but I thought of that too late. The real nuisance is how to cover the stairs, some covering, it seems, is imperative. Faith, I will cover the whole of it with new vines, that will save the form… And now, once everything is complete and the bills are paid, the question is: will my paintings not be poorer, am I not too old to paint anything worth all this trouble?
Your affectionate father,
C. Pissarro
Éragny, September 18, 1893
My dear boys,
They have just set in the sash of the large bay-window in the studio. The glass has to be put in…The studio is splendid, but I often say to myself: what is the good of a studio? Once I painted no matter where, in all seasons, in the worst heat, on rainy days, in the most frightful cold, I found it possible to work with enthusiasm…Will I be able to work in these new surroundings?
Your affectionate father,
C. Pissarro
Éragny, October 17, 1893
My dear Lucien,
…The studio is progressing slowly, softly, most quietly. The great bay has finally gotten its glass pane, as well as the other window; the doors are finished, the balcony and stairways are to be set up tomorrow, they tell me. I hope to begin a study from the window, for its fairylike at this moment, and I am greatly in need of painting.
Your affectionate father,
C. Pissarro
Exhibition Guide Sections
- Introduction
- Artistic Beginnings: St. Thomas and Venezuela
- Path to Impressionism
- A Life in Letters
- Portrait of a Family
- The Impressionist Journey
- Rural Communities: Harvest and Market Scenes
- Pissarro's Fans
- At Home in Éragny
- A Garden Retreat
- Against the Grain: Politics and Neo-Impressionism
- Normandy Harbors
- Sights of Paris
- Audio Guide
The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro's Impressionism is co-organized by the Denver Art Museum and the Museum Barberini, Potsdam.
It is presented by Jana and Fred Bartlit, Barbara Bridges, Bridget and John Grier, the Kristin and Charles Lohmiller Exhibitions Fund, and Craig Ponzio.
The exhibition is also supported by the Tom Taplin Jr. and Ted Taplin Endowment, Adolph Coors Exhibition Endowment Fund, Birnbaum Social Discourse Project, Lori and Grady Durham, Kathie and Keith Finger, Sally Cooper Murray, Ellen and Morris Susman, Lisë Gander and Andy Main, Mary Pat and Richard McCormick, Kent Thiry and Denise O'Leary, Robert Lehman Foundation, Christie's, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Promotional support is provided by CBS Colorado.
