Camille Pissarro

Born: July 10, 1830
City and Country of Origin: Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Danish West Indies (Virgin Islands)
Painting School: Impressionists
Art Training: Studied with the Danish painter Fritz Melbye; He migrated to Paris where he was attracted to the more avant garde areas of art. His biggest influence was a chance meeting with Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne with whose help together they would found the Impressionist movement
Exhibitions: He along with Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Degas, Morisot and Cezanne organized their own exhibition "Salon des Refuses"
Awards:
Major Works: "Paris A Rainy Day"
Camille Pissarro Biography: He was born in St. Thomas in the West Indies, today the Virgin Islands, to a father of French Jewish heritage and a Creole mother. He started his life as a businessman like his father, but was introduced to painting by F. Melbye a Danish painter in 1852. In 1855 he visited Paris and painted scenes of the city and its suburbs. In 1859 he was admitted into the Salon. From 1859-61 he attended the Academie Suisse where he made the acquanitance of Claude Monet, Guillaumin and Cezanne. It was during that period that his romance of Julie Vellay, whom he would marry and have eight children with, started. After being rejected by the Salon in 1861 and 63 he joined the exhibition titled "Salon des Refuses" along with Monet, Cezanne and Morisot. During his lifetime his work never achieved public acceptance. From 1866-68 while living in Pontoise his work moved away from the style of the Barbizon school and he became more Impressionistic. During the Franco-Prussian war many of his earlier works were destroyed. He was recommended by his friend Daubigny to the art dealer Durand-Ruel who organized exhibits for him. From 1872-78 he once again settled in Pontoise where he exercised a great influence ove the work of Paul Cezanne. In 1885 after meeting Georges Seurat and Paul Signac he adopted his own form of Pointillism.
Died: 1903