The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning
Camille Pissarro, 1897
About this artwork
Camille Pissarro'sThe Boulevard Montmartre a Winter Morning* (1897) is a luminous gem from his late Impressionist of fourteen views painted from his window at the Grand Hôtel de in Paris. At age 66, with failing eyesight limiting outdoor work, Pissarro captured the boulevard's daily rhythm from February to April 1897, emphasizing the movement of light, weather, and urban life. This oil on canvas, measuring 25½ × 32 inches, reflects his lifelong commitment to en plein air principles, even indoors, showcasing Paris's modernity through carriages, pedestrians, and grand buildings blanketed in winter mist. The scene bathes in pearly, diffused morning light that softens the bustling street into a contemplative haze, evoking the ephemeral beauty Impressionists cherished. Pissarro's signature rapid, visible brushstrokes pulse with vibrancy—short dabs of color blend to convey motion and atmosphere—while his systematic color theory unifies the composition. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings collection (gift of Katrin S. Vietor, 1960), it exemplifies Pissarro's mature vision: transforming everyday Parisian streets into poetic celebrations of change and transience. This work highlights fin-de-siècle Paris as a dynamic hub of progress, bridging Impressionism's focus on perception with a tender nostalgia for the ordinary.