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Camille Pissarro, 'The Boulevard Montmartre at Night', 1897

About the work

Overview

This is one of 14 views of the Boulevard Montmartre in Paris that Camille Pissarro painted in 1897. These include the boulevard seen in snow, rain, fog, mist and sunlight, and in the morning, afternoon, at sunset and at night. The picture is the only example of a night painting by Pissarro.

Pissarro was especially fascinated by the different types of artificial light, which are reflected on the wet pavements. The cool white of the newly installed electric street lamps along the centre of picture contrasts with the warm yellow gaslight of the shop windows and the oil-burning lamps of the cabs that line the street. The brushstrokes have an almost abstract gestural quality, as Pissarro applied the paint as a patchwork of dashes and daubs to suggest the passing crowds and traffic, and the city’s shimmering lights.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Boulevard Montmartre at Night
Artist dates
1830 - 1903
Date made
1897
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
53.3 × 64.8 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, Courtauld Fund, 1925
Inventory number
NG4119
Location
Room 44
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
20th-century English Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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