Known as the "Father of Impressionism", Pissarro painted rural and urban French life, particularly landscapes in and around Pontoise, as well as scenes from Montmartre. His mature work displays an empathy for peasants and laborers, and sometimes evidences his radical political leanings. He was a mentor to Paul Cezanne and Paul Gauguin .
He often painted from high view points; his developed pallete is quite chalky and pale, with predominant greens and blue. Surfaces are thickly painted.
He was a reclusive and unsettled artist. He was an anarchist and constantly in debt. He was also a father figure to many younger artists, including Cezanne and Gaugin.
