The Boulevard Montmartre at Twilight by Camille Pissarro
Camille Pissarro was a Danish-French painter from 1830 until 1903. He was known for his contributions to the impressionist and post-impressionist movement. He loved to paint outdoors and capture the reality of life in the villages. He enjoyed painting the French countryside and would complete paintings in one sitting, staying outdoors for the entire duration. His art took on a more realistic look, which some found vulgar in that he would include bushes that were not perfect or plants that were still growing.
His middle years became more and more impressionist and the reason for which he was known as one of the fathers of impressionism. His much later years returned to a more realistic style and of painting the peasants and the French countryside. As he neared his final years he developed a recurring eye infection that prevented him from working outside during colder temperatures. Therefore, he would rent out hotel rooms so that he could paint out the window.
Pissarro ended up doing several pictures of the Boulevard Montmartre at different times of the day and different seasons. This particular painting of the Boulevard Montmartre features the street at twilight and the perspective suggests that it might have been painted as the view from his hotel room. This painting was looted by the Nazis and was later sold through a Swiss art dealer in 1941. There have been rumors that his painting has re-emerged a few times since the end of the war but there are no definitive leads about where the painting might be today.