Presenting a Painting: Impressionism
Humanities-World Cultures
A. Title: Avenue de l'Opera, Morning Sunshine
Artist: Camille Pissarro, France, July 10, 1830 to November 13, 1903
Completion Date: 1898
Classification: Impressionism
Description of Subject: A wide view of the morning sunlight on the busy street, Opera Avenue, Paris, France.
Visual Content. The focal point of the painting is a wide Paris street intersection under the morning light. The view is balanced because both sides of the street have a fountain and behind those are large rectangular four storey buildings that look very similar one to the other. The left side is more vibrant in color due to the location of the sun but that is balanced by more people moving on the right side. People are walking; all the cars in the painting are headed in two organized rows down the street in the opposite direction from the viewer. The horse drawn carriages are directing the movement because in the center of the painting three carriages with horse that were traveling towards the viewer are turning in the same direction. The movement of the pedestrians is felt in relationship to the movement of these three carriages. The basic shapes of the composition are different sized rectangles and circles. The viewer enters the painting between two sets of circles to follow the street (which is mainly shaped like a rectangle) to reach the horizon. At the horizon, in the distance is a large domed building. The large domed building sits at the end of the street. On either side of the street are very similar multi-storied heavy buildings. The street seems to narrow to the front of the domed building and the domed building seems smaller because that is the perspective so that the painting looks very naturally proportioned. The painting does not have large areas of high contrast because the morning sun is shining brightly; although gentle shadows of the passing day are appearing. The people and carriages movie in the street are a contrast to the overall painting. The fountains and the trees in front of the fountains are also in colors that are in contrast to the overall painting. The basic patterns in the painting include (from entering the painting) a small circle followed by a large circle on each side of the street After that the rectangular shapes of the buildings the long narrow rectangle of the street between and the square-domed building at the end of the road form regular occurring and easily recognizable patterns.
B. The effect of sunlight in the painting is very interesting. (a) The morning light is bright so it is and people are still in a morning rush. (b) As the sun moves we can notice shadows start to form on the buildings running along the right side of the street. Also we can see the shadows already falling on the street. (c) The painter has caught a bright time of the day that will pass very quickly because the shadows are moving further to the left and the clouds may bring more a darker day.
C. The painter is sitting above street level so the view is wider and holds more elements. (a) In the front or lower half of the painting: The people are moving in the sunshine and we can see their shadows on the ground. Somehow the shadows seem to remind people the time is passing and I feel they are hurrying. (b) The façades of the buildings on the right facing the street contain more shadows, that is greys. The street between the buildings has shadows growing longer as the eye reaches the end of the street. (c) The sunlight is going to pass very quickly after this moment
D. I am glad I stopped to take a very close look at this painting because it does not stand out in group of Impressionism paintings that the Philadelphia Art Museum has on the Internet. Once I stopped to really look at the paining, first the movement caught my eye and then after more study I was able to notice the shadows. I think I am becoming a lot more sophisticated in understanding paintings then I was in the past.
References
Passsaro, Camille. (n.d.). Avenue de l'Opéra: Morning Sunshine. European Painting before 1900, Johnson Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art, http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/86418.html?mulR=5714|17
Pissaro, Camille. (n.d.). Avenue de l'Opéra: Morning Sunshine, Image, WikiPaintings., ttp://www.wikipaintings.org/en/camille-pissarro/avenue-de-l-opera-morning-sunshine-1898
Avenue de l'Opera, Morning Sunshine by Camille Pissarro
Appendix
Photo: Avenue de l'Opera, Morning Sunshine by Camille Pissarro
Source: 45694-Pissarro, Camille-Avenue de l'Opera, Morning Sunshine.jpg
