Lot Essay
During his life Pissarro made four separate visits to London and as John Russell has observed, "In terms of time Pissarro was not in England very often and his visits were never prolonged. But certain parts of London - Upper Richmond, Kew Gardens, Bedford Park - are forever stamped by his interest in them." (Exh. cat., Pissarro in England, London, 1968). The present picture was executed during Pissarro's third visit to London between May and August 1892.
Pissarro finally left Paris for London on 23 May. Inspired by recent exhibition successes at Durand-Ruel, Pissarro came to England fully equipped with oils and prepared canvases so that he could begin painting London landscapes as soon as he arrived. Already by 10 June he was writing to Durand-Ruel, "Je suis occupé en ce moment à Kew Garden ou j'ai trouvé une série de motifs magnifiques, que je tâche de rendre le mieux possible. Le temps est trés favorable, exceptionnel même parâit-il, mais quelle difficulté, plus que jamais "je sens ma faiblesse" devant la tâche ardue!" (ibid, L. 791). At the end of June, Pissarro's preoccupation with his Kew pictures had developed so much that he moved from Bayswater to take up rented accommodation in Kew Green at No. 1 Gloucester Terrace. His excitement permeates his correspondence as evidenced in his letter to Octave Mirbeau at the end of July. "Voilà pourquoi je suis à Kew profitant d'un exceptional été pour me jeter à corps perdu dans mes études de plein air, dans ce jardin épatant de Kew. Oh! mon cher ami, quels arbres! quels gazons! quels jolis mouvements imperceptibels de terrains! C'est un rêve" (ibid, L. 805). By the middle of August they were nearly finished and he was able to write to Claude Monet on 16 August. "J'ai raporté de Kew une douzaine d'études que j'aurais bien voulu vous montrer, je ne sais vraiment qu'en penser, ce sont des petites toiles de dix et quinze. J'ai besoin de les regarder un certain temps pour m'y faire," (ibid, L. 810).
Pissarro completed eleven pictures of Kew (P. & V. nos. 793-803) with which he was extremely pleased. As Alan Bowness has observed, "They are delightful, relaxed works, in which Camille seems to have happily returned to the manner of painting natural to him, abandoning the dogmatic theoretical approach of the neo-impressionists" (Exh. cat., The Impressionists in London, London, 1973, p. 16).
Pissarro returned with his pictures to Paris where he added final touches before setting out to show them to potential buyers. Portier wanted to buy some pictures from Pissarro but the latter was reluctant to sell his highly prized Kew paintings to him as he wanted to keep them for the more prestigious galleries Durand-Ruel or Boussod & Valadon. "Montre-lui les Kew tout de même", he wrote to Lucien on 9 September, 'Je lui écris que c'est trop cher pour sa clientèle, deux mille francs pour les toiles de dix, trois milles frances les toiles de quinze. (Bailly-Herzberg, op.cit, L. 815). Pissarro decided in any event to show them to Durand-Ruel three days later, on 16 November, Pissarro confirmed the purchase of 10 pictures including six size 15 Jardin de Kew subjects, each priced at 1,500 francs, "Je vous envoie ci-inclus la liste des toiles que vous avez choisies. Je suis en train de les nettoyer, je vous les enverrai aussitôt ce petit travail terminé" (ibid, L. 828). Durand-Ruel exhibited the pictures with considerable success in March 1893.
Pissarro finally left Paris for London on 23 May. Inspired by recent exhibition successes at Durand-Ruel, Pissarro came to England fully equipped with oils and prepared canvases so that he could begin painting London landscapes as soon as he arrived. Already by 10 June he was writing to Durand-Ruel, "Je suis occupé en ce moment à Kew Garden ou j'ai trouvé une série de motifs magnifiques, que je tâche de rendre le mieux possible. Le temps est trés favorable, exceptionnel même parâit-il, mais quelle difficulté, plus que jamais "je sens ma faiblesse" devant la tâche ardue!" (ibid, L. 791). At the end of June, Pissarro's preoccupation with his Kew pictures had developed so much that he moved from Bayswater to take up rented accommodation in Kew Green at No. 1 Gloucester Terrace. His excitement permeates his correspondence as evidenced in his letter to Octave Mirbeau at the end of July. "Voilà pourquoi je suis à Kew profitant d'un exceptional été pour me jeter à corps perdu dans mes études de plein air, dans ce jardin épatant de Kew. Oh! mon cher ami, quels arbres! quels gazons! quels jolis mouvements imperceptibels de terrains! C'est un rêve" (ibid, L. 805). By the middle of August they were nearly finished and he was able to write to Claude Monet on 16 August. "J'ai raporté de Kew une douzaine d'études que j'aurais bien voulu vous montrer, je ne sais vraiment qu'en penser, ce sont des petites toiles de dix et quinze. J'ai besoin de les regarder un certain temps pour m'y faire," (ibid, L. 810).
Pissarro completed eleven pictures of Kew (P. & V. nos. 793-803) with which he was extremely pleased. As Alan Bowness has observed, "They are delightful, relaxed works, in which Camille seems to have happily returned to the manner of painting natural to him, abandoning the dogmatic theoretical approach of the neo-impressionists" (Exh. cat., The Impressionists in London, London, 1973, p. 16).
Pissarro returned with his pictures to Paris where he added final touches before setting out to show them to potential buyers. Portier wanted to buy some pictures from Pissarro but the latter was reluctant to sell his highly prized Kew paintings to him as he wanted to keep them for the more prestigious galleries Durand-Ruel or Boussod & Valadon. "Montre-lui les Kew tout de même", he wrote to Lucien on 9 September, 'Je lui écris que c'est trop cher pour sa clientèle, deux mille francs pour les toiles de dix, trois milles frances les toiles de quinze. (Bailly-Herzberg, op.cit, L. 815). Pissarro decided in any event to show them to Durand-Ruel three days later, on 16 November, Pissarro confirmed the purchase of 10 pictures including six size 15 Jardin de Kew subjects, each priced at 1,500 francs, "Je vous envoie ci-inclus la liste des toiles que vous avez choisies. Je suis en train de les nettoyer, je vous les enverrai aussitôt ce petit travail terminé" (ibid, L. 828). Durand-Ruel exhibited the pictures with considerable success in March 1893.