PLEIN AIR HERITAGE
Inspired by Camille Corot and Gustave Courbet, Camille Pissarro (French, 1830–1903) often fled the hustle and bustle of Paris to paint the countryside. Like many of his contemporaries, he preferred to paint in the open air, but while others chose to complete their work in the studio, Pissarro finished his outside. In later years, the artist suffered from a recurring eye infection that prevented him from working outdoors much of the year. He spent more and more time in the city, often renting apartments or hotel rooms, where he painted views of the urban landscape from the windows. In February 1897, he took a room in Paris at the Hôtel de Russie on the corner of the Boulevard des Italiens and the Rue Drouot, and produced a series of paintings of…