Boulevard Montmartre at Night
The artist
Camille Pissarro, a kind French Impressionist painter who loved showing everyday city life.
What you see
A busy Paris street seen from a high window, full of tiny people, carriages, and rows of leafy trees.
The story
In 1897 Pissarro rented a room above the boulevard and painted the same view many times, in sun, rain, and snow.
The style
He used quick little dabs of color that blend when you step back, a favorite Impressionist trick for catching light.
Look closer
Look closely and the people are just dots and dashes, yet they truly seem to be walking and rushing about.
Where to see it
Versions of this scene hang in famous museums around the world, including one in New York.
Fun fact
Pissarro painted a whole series of this street through the seasons, like a slideshow of one place over time.