The Rainbow (1877) by Camille Pissarro

The Rainbow - Camille Pissarro - 1877

Artwork Information

TitleThe Rainbow
ArtistCamille Pissarro
Date1877
MediumOil on Canvas
Dimensions52.7 x 81.8 cm
Art MovementImpressionism
Current LocationKröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands
Order a Custom Print of this Artwork!

About The Rainbow

Camille Pissarro was a prominent impressionist and neo-impressionist painter whose work captured fleeting moments in an extraordinary way. His painting, “The Rainbow, Pontoise,” is a testament to the artist’s ability to observe and capture beauty in everyday life. The painting depicts a rainbow appearing on the horizon after a storm has blown over, which is reflected in the sky’s colors of blues, greens, yellows, and oranges.

Pissarro often painted pastoral themes and rural settings, as seen in this painting of Pontoise (a small French town). The composition of the painting has depth that draws viewers into the scene from where they stand. The foreground comprises plants with different hues of greenery that are warmly illuminated by sunlight hitting their leaves from behind. The midground showcases wooden structures clustered together at one side while transitioning into nature towards the other with blurry poplars along Pissarro’s signature horizontal backdrop.

According to art historians’ records, Pissarro was present at all eight Impressionist group exhibitions during his lifetime; he was also instrumental in helping other artists such as Cézanne and Gauguin get their works shown at these exhibits. Indeed “The Rainbow” shows his influence on post-impressionism through its use of contrasting colors blended by quick brush strokes characteristic of impressionism but points toward neo-impressionism through its chromatic harmony expressed as dots or points rather than blending them together as traditional color theory might have recommended.

Currently housed at Kröller-Müller Museum known for its notable collection of paintings done by famous Dutch artists like Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian works from France made by significant post-Impressionists such as Georges Seurat “The Rainbow” can be appreciated alongside pieces reflecting similar movements that greatly influenced art history around Europe when they were created over 140 years ago.

Other Artwork from Camille Pissarro

More Impressionism Artwork

Scroll to Top