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Montmorency Road

Camille Pissarro

1855

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Montmorency Road is a 1855 graphite by Camille Pissarro, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Camille Pissarro
When & what style?: 1855 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a quiet country road winding through a wooded area. A few small trees and bushes line the path, and the ground looks uneven with patches of grass and dirt. The lines are loose and quick, like a quick note of what the artist saw. The drawing feels rough and unfinished, almost like a first draft. That’s because it is—this is a study, not a polished painting. The artist was likely practicing how to show light and shadow in nature. Next, look up Pissarro, Camille to see how he turned these sketches into full paintings.