Setting Sun

Setting Sun is a striking Print created by Camille Pissarro French, 1830-1903, in 1879. This delicate work is classified as a print, utilizing the complex media of aquatint and drypoint, rendered in black ink on buff laid paper. The combination of aquatint allows Pissarro to achieve subtle tonal gradations and atmospheric haze, characteristic of the Impressionist style, while the drypoint technique provides sharp, velvety lines for structure and detail.

Although Pissarro is renowned primarily for his oil paintings, his commitment to printmaking during the 1870s and 1880s was profound, allowing him to experiment with light and texture in a reproducible format. Produced in France, this piece aligns with the Impressionist movement’s focus on transitory moments and the visual effects of nature. The title, Setting Sun, suggests a preoccupation with capturing the dramatic, ephemeral light of dusk, a common motif where Pissarro could explore high contrast and intense luminosity through the limited palette of black and white.

This exemplary piece of graphic art resides within the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it offers critical insight into the artist’s technical range outside of painting. As a seminal work from a foundational French artist, Setting Sun remains a significant example of 19th-century printmaking. High-quality prints and scholarly documentation of such key works by Pissarro are increasingly released into the public domain, expanding accessibility for study and appreciation worldwide.