Morning on the Marne at Meaux

1885·Watercolor, over traces of graphite, on cream wove paper·16.9 × 25.4 cm (6 11/16 × 10 in.)

<p>Starting out as an amateur painter, Dubois-Pillet helped to found the Salon des Indépendants, an annual exhibition that gave artists including Seurat and Van Gogh a chance to show their work. A trained soldier and committed socialist, Dubois-Pillet in his works portrayed France at peace, far removed from the recent Franco-Prussian war. In 1870 Meaux had hosted negotiations over the siege of Paris, but here it appears as idyllic. Lively dots of color animate the scene, while the white paper support lends luminosity.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1885
Medium: Watercolor, over traces of graphite, on cream wove paper
Dimensions: 16.9 × 25.4 cm (6 11/16 × 10 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Albert Dubois-Pillet

Artist

Albert Dubois-Pillet

Painting

Albert Dubois-Pillet was a French painter and founding member of the Société Indépendante des Artistes who worked in the divisionist technique during the 1880s. His compositions employ separated strokes of pure color to achieve luminous atmospheric effects, particularly in landscapes and urban scenes. Active in Paris during the final decades of the nineteenth century, he participated in early independent salons that established alternative exhibition spaces outside the official Salon.

Paris, France

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