Camille Pizarro and his life

In his memoirs, French artist Camille Pizarro wrote: "In 1852, I was a paid job in St. Thomas, but I could not stand it, I did not think so much, I left her and went to Caracas to break all the connections with the bourgeois world. with what I now suffer, and yet if I have to start my life from the beginning, I think without hesitation I would go the same way! "These words of the artist clearly say that for him more terrible than the material one, it was spiritual deprivation. Making such a choice when you are the head of a family with eight children is a real hero. Camille Pizarro was born on July 10, 1830, on St. Thomas, in the family of a rich Sephardic Jewish merchant and beautiful Dominican. By the age of teens, Camille grew up in the Caribbean, and then his parents sent him to Paris to study in the Savari. His first art teacher is Auguste Savari, a famous artist. Kamie's father, however, prefers his son to become a merchant and to take over the family business - a hardware shop. As soon as he returns his son back home, he realizes that this is impossible. The boy is just looking for a free time to get involved with ... painting. Camille Pizarro's meeting with Danish artist Fritz Melby, who has already exhibited his paintings at an exhibition in Copenhagen, is remarkable.

With Fritz's help, Kamie leaves his native island and family, and goes to Venezuela. The two artists rent a house in Caracas and paint all day long. In 1854, Camille returned to St Thomas and asked his father to understand - to support his decision to dedicate himself to painting. Old Pizarro resigns and sends his son back to Paris at the World Exposition. Pizarro became a pupil of Fritz Melby's brother, Anton Melby. Takes lessons at the Academy of Fine Arts, introduces Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The first painting of Pizarro, which was accepted at the Artists' Salon in 1858, is the "Landscape near Montmorency". Pizarro expects criticism, but she is silent! ... However, he is not discouraged. Already there is the support of their parents - they move to live in Paris and Camy is again living in the family coziness. But next year, again, she shook her parents again. He falls in love with their young maid, Julie Valley, and she gets pregnant. Against the will of his mother and father, he lives with her. Among those who like it, it turns out ... Emil Zola. However, the writer's praises do not at all relieve Pizarro's financial difficulties. With a picture under his arm, the artist walks around Paris and is ready to sell his work for a piece of bread. Often, by hand, Duran Rueel, the painting trader, one of the first connoisseurs of the Impressionists, is a kind of material and moral supporter. In 1869 and 1870, Pizarro worked with Claude Monet and Renoir. In the later years, Cezan, Gauguin and Van Gogh often stayed in his home.

Early in the morning the company of artists came out to paint landscapes outdoors. During the Franco-Prussian War, Pizarro left for England, and after a while he was withdrawing there and his family. On June 14, 1871, the artist finally married his beloved Julie. When, however, the two returned to France after the end of the war, they found their home ravaged by the Prussian soldiers, hundreds of canvases of the artist were stolen or destroyed. Of the 1500 paintings of Camille Pizarro, he survived only 42! ... This heavy blow destroyed him spiritually, but his mental pain Pizarro healed with painting. In the following years he painted Paul Susan with his friend. In 1874 he took part in the First Exhibition of Impressionists. Pizarro is the only impressionist who participated in the eight Impressionist exhibitions. His colleagues loved him, for he had no envy on the successes of others, the opposite - he was friendly to everyone and supported them. He maintained very close friendly relations with Cezanne, Gaggen and Degas, though later with the latter they were alienated for the "Dreafus Affair" and Degas' attitude towards the Jews. In 1892 Duran Rueel organized an exhibition of Pizarro, which was very successful. Finally, the artist receives invitations for exhibitions in New York, Brussels, Dresden, Petersburg and others. A good finish to a very difficult life, full of trials and vicissitudes.

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