Rue Saint-Lazare, Paris

Rue Saint-Lazare, Paris is a notable lithograph created by the Impressionist master Camille Pissarro in 1897. This work dates from the final decade of the artist's life, a period when Pissarro moved away from his earlier rural subjects and began systematically documenting the rapidly modernizing urban landscapes of Paris. The composition focuses on the bustling environment of a major Parisian thoroughfare, capturing the constant movement and energy of the fin-de-siècle capital.

Classified specifically as a fine art print, this lithograph demonstrates Pissarro’s careful attention to atmosphere and the transitory nature of light and movement, characteristics central to the Impressionist movement. Unlike the vibrant color and loose brushwork typical of his earlier oil paintings, this piece relies on the subtle tonal variations inherent in the lithographic technique to convey the depth and architectural rhythm of the street. Pissarro successfully captures the essence of the city, showing horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, and the tall, Haussmann-era buildings lining the street in France.

The shift to high-vantage street scenes, often viewed from hotel windows overlooking the boulevards, defined Pissarro's output during the late 1890s. While he often returned to this subject in oil, the creation of Rue Saint-Lazare, Paris as a print shows his adaptability and mastery in reproducing the scene through different media. Created during a significant era of artistic and social change, this important example of late Impressionist printmaking is part of the extensive collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art.