Le Boulevard de Montmartre, Matinée de Printemps

Le Boulevard de Montremarte, Matinee de Printemps is an oil painting created on canvas by Camille Pissarro. The painting depicts Boulevard Montremarte in 1897. One of the grand boulevards in Paris, Boulevard Montremarte was built in 1763.

Camille Pissarro was an Impressionist painter of Danish-French origin. Contributing a lot to the Impressionist movement, he drew inspiration from painters such as Courbet and Corot. Pissarro did not delve into Neo-Impressionism until he was in his mid 50's. The painting has been moved around several times due to political tensions. In 1923 it was part of Max Silberg's collection. Silberg was a Industrialist of German nationality who was also a Holocaust victim. Forced by the ruling Nazi party, Silberg had to sell the work in 1935. In 2000 it was returned to the descendants of Max Silberg and loaned to the Israel Museum up until 2013. The museum is known for holding one of the largest, comprehensive collections of fine art which would explain its holding of Le Boulevard de Montremarte, Matinee de Printemps.

The following year, in 2014, it was auctioned at one of the world's biggest brokers of fine art, among other high quality items, Sotheby's for almost 20 million pounds. Le Boulevard de Montremarte, Matinee de Printemps is considered to be one of, if not the most important urban painting of Camille Pissarro's. Pissarro tried to evoke the excitement and energy felt at the fin-de-siècle (a French term for a turn of the century) by how the paint is mastered. Besides Pissarro, other significant artists who were involved directly in, or related to, the impressionist movement included Edgar Degas, Frederic Bazille, Gustave Caillebotte and Claude Monet.

Being part of a series, Boulevard Montremarte, displays Pissarro's commitment to the same subject and how he is able to focus on different states of emotion and moods. Subtle changes in atmosphere, light and weather can be seen in each of the creations in the Boulevard Montremarte series, Pissarro masters these elements. The Boulevard Montremarte series was completed by Camille Pissarro in just two months within the confines of a hotel room. Looking out from the window, he took almost three hours for lunch each day but apart from that, he painted.

Pissarro's use of brushstrokes are almost spontaneous and sensual. The impressionist artist wanted to move away from the passionless techniques of painting in the past (as he viewed them) and bring some more life to the artwork. Camille Pissarro came across some difficulties whilst painting the Boulevard Montremarte series. With the bustling city life of carriages and people as well as the buildings which had to be set at another angle for the purpose of artwork. He did eventually overcome these issues through hard work and dedication. Pissarro brought passion and life to all of the paintings within the Boulevard Montremarte series.