The Letters of Lucien to Camille Pissarro, 1883–1903

The Letters of Lucien to Camille Pissarro, 1883–1903 Synopsis

The Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro's eldest son, Lucien, lived in England in 1883, then in Paris until 1890 when he finally settled in England. These travels gave rise to a substantial exchange of letters, most of which have survived. This substantial 1993 collection of the letters of Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro, published in the original French with extensive notes and illustrations, offers a unique source for anyone interested in English 'aesthetic' life towards the end of the nineteenth century. The technical discussion of the translation of drawings to woodblocks engraved by Lucien gives a unique insight into the methods employed, while intimate views on the work of their now famous friends, mainly painters, writers of anarchist theoreticians in Paris, or contemporary painters reacting to the Pre-Raphaelites in London and the Private Press movement inspired by William Morris, mingle advice on painting methods with views on current art trends, family matters, and their struggles for recognition and enough money to even post their letters.