Sunlight on the Road, Pontoise

During the 1870s, many of the Impressionist landscape painters went to live in the small towns surrounding Paris. They painted the ordinary scenes of the nearby countryside with a fresh, direct approach, often working outdoors. The balanced composition and cool harmony of blues, greens, and creamy yellow give this river view a serene stability typical of the work of Pissarro, a leader in the group and an important mentor to Cézanne and Gauguin.