“Les mathurins, Pontoise” is an oil on canvas artwork created by Camille Pissarro in 1877. As an impressionistic genre painting, it measures 73.2 x 59.4 cm. The painting belongs to the Impressionism movement and is currently held in a private collection.
The artwork depicts a serene rural scene from Pontoise, a region that Pissarro was particularly fond of and frequented for inspiration. The composition features a distribution of earthy-toned buildings nestled under a dynamic, textured sky. Foliage in various shades of green, yellow, and hints of red frames the architecture, creating a natural border around the constructed elements. The brushwork exhibits the characteristic quick, small strokes representative of the Impressionist style, lending a sense of vibrancy and movement to the scene. Light and shadow appear to be delicately balanced, giving depth to the landscape and emphasizing the transient qualities of natural light, a common theme in Pissarro’s work and Impressionist paintings in general. The absence of explicit human figures allows the viewer to focus on the interaction of nature and the built environment, which is a hallmark of genre scenes that explore everyday landscapes and settings.
