The Crystal Palace, 1871
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
Oil on canvas, 18 9/16 x 28 15/16 in. (47.2 x 73.5 cm)
Discussion
During the nineteenth century, major cities like London, Paris, and Chicago underwent rapid industrialization and staggering growth. This burgeoning urbanization and modernization and the activities/lives of the bourgeoisie became the subject of artwork by Pissarro. Examine and describe what is happening in this painting. What can we learn from looking closely at who or what is painted (subject matter); where it is painted (setting); and how it is painted (technique)? How has the artist created the atmosphere and indicated the time of day and the weather? What do you think the artist is trying to tell us about the people, place, and time?

Discuss the architectural wonder designed by Joseph Paxton and built in 1851. The image Camille Pissarro chose to paint in The Crystal Palace was the ultimate of the new and modern in 1871. What building in your city is considered an archetype of architectural innovation today (i.e. Sears Tower in Chicago; World Trade Center in New York)? Why?

Activities
1. After a careful observation and inventory of what is going on in The Crystal Palace, write a vivid description of the world Pissarro created with images and color. Use words in the same lively and descriptive manner as Pissarro used paint. Discuss whether these words are grounded in the visual information the painting provides. Do they give an accurate sense of the artwork’s subject, setting, and technique? Can words accurately convey the intentions of Pissarro?
2. Research and discuss the construction of the Crystal Palace. What were the technological developments that made the creation of this huge structure possible? (The manufacture of iron and tempered plate glass; the concept of prefabrication, which allowed the building compo-nents to be fabricated in factories and assembled quickly on the site.) Do we still use these technologies today? How have they changed? What are some contemporary analogies to the Crystal Palace? (McCormick Place and Navy Pier in Chicago are two examples.) Who would spend leisure time in such an entertainment center?
3. Impressionism has been called the movement that changed the course of art history. During a trip to the Art Institute, visit the European galleries to view the painting Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, 1735-1740, by Michele Marieschi (1696-1743). After carefully examining this Italian landscape and The Crystal Palace, note the sub-jects, settings, and techniques. How are these two paintings similar? How are they different? Pay particular attention to the depiction of people, and to the presence, location, and importance of architecture within each composition.