“The Louvre, Afternoon, Rainy Weather” is an oil on canvas painting by Camille Pissarro, an artist associated with the Impressionist movement. Created in the year 1900, this cityscape artwork measures 65 x 81 cm. It portrays a rainy afternoon in Paris, depicting the area around the famous Louvre museum. This painting can be found within the collection of the National Gallery of Art, located in Washington, DC, US.
The artwork captures the damp atmosphere of a Parisian day under overcast skies. Pissarro employs a palette dominated by muted tones to convey the diffused light and moist air of the setting. The soft brushstrokes typical of Impressionism give the scene a sense of movement and immediacy. In the foreground, figures can be seen walking along the Seine, their reflections subtly mirrored in the wet pavement, which adds a reflective quality to the painting. The middle ground is animated by the Seine River itself, bustling with boats, while the iconic architecture of the Louvre provides a stately backdrop. The trees, stripped of their leaves, contribute to the feeling of a chilly, rainy day. Pissarro’s treatment of light and color creates a harmonious composition that is both a visual impression and an emotional response to the city in the rain.
