Rade de Bormes
- Artist: Lucien Pissarro
- Date: 1923
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is “Rade de Bormes” by Lucien Pissarro, painted in 1923. The work is executed in oil on canvas, a medium Pissarro favored throughout his career for its rich color possibilities and flexibility. Although the scene itself isn’t described here, the title suggests a coastal or harbor setting, a common motif in Pissarro’s later explorations of light and atmosphere. The canvas would show the painter’s loose brushwork and keen observation of natural light, typical of his late style. The year places it after the First World War, a period when Pissarro was experimenting with more vivid palettes and a freer application of paint. The combination of year, medium, and artist already hints at a vibrant, impressionistic treatment that would invite viewers to linger and notice subtle shifts in hue and texture across the scene.
See it in person
Rade de Bormes hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
