The Driveway

1884

Settles at Éragny-sur-Epte

In April 1884 Pissarro and his family settled at Éragny-sur-Epte, a village near Gisors, where he lived for the rest of his life; he wrote to his son Lucien that the house was superb, with a garden and meadows. The house, garden, orchard, meadows and farm workers became recurring subjects for the last nineteen years of his career.

1893

A studio in the converted barn

In 1893 Pissarro altered the barn bordering the garden to create a large studio on its upper floor: the north wall was fitted with an arched glazed opening about three metres wide and another opening faced west over the orchard towards Bazincourt; he described the progress of the work in detail to Lucien.

1894–1898

Travel: Netherlands

1897

The death of his son Félix

Pissarro's son Félix, born in 1874, died, one of the six of Camille's children who became painters.

1897

A trip to London: Bedford Park

In 1897 Pissarro painted in London again: several oils described as views of Bedford Park, Chiswick, in fact show the nearby Stamford Brook area, except for one of Bath Road.

1897–1903

City views from hotel windows

A recurring eye infection prevented Pissarro from working outdoors except in warm weather, so he began to paint street scenes from the windows of hotel rooms, often on upper floors for a broader view; this produced views of Rouen, Paris, Le Havre and Dieppe, and on his visits to London he did the same.