Jacob-Abraham-Camille Pissarro, known as the “Father of Impressionism”, painted rural and urban French life, particularly landscapes in and around Pontoise, as well as scenes from Montmartre. His mature work displays empathy for peasants and laborers, and sometimes evidences his radical political leanings. He was a mentor to Paul Cezanne and Paul Gauguin and his example inspired many younger artists, including Californian Impressionist Lucy Bacon. Pissarro experimented with Neo-Impressionist ideas between 1885 and 1890. Discontented with what he referred to as “romantic Impressionism,” he investigated Pointillism which he called “scientific Impressionism” before returning to a purer Impressionism in the last decade of his life.
