The Letters of Lucien to Camille Pissarro, 1883-1903

Lucien Pissarro, the eldest son of Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro, lived in England in 1883, then in Paris until 1890 when he finally settled in England. These travels gave rise to a substantial exchange of letters, most of which have survived. Camille Pissarro's letters are well known, but Lucien's replies, which describe the world of post-William Morris London, have hitherto lacked a full edition. Lucien, also a painter, exhibited only in the last of the Impressionist exhibitions in Paris; both he and his father were by then members of the neo-Impressionist group. To earn a living, Lucien turned to wood engraving, which led to his printing of rare books, illustrated and printed by him on his Eragny Press in London. He even ceased to paint for a period. The technical discussion of the translation of drawings to woodblocks engraved by Lucien gives a unique insight into the methods employed, while intimate views are expressed on the work of the Pissarros' now famous friends - mainly painters, writers or anarchist theoreticians in Paris, or contemporary painters reacting to the Pre-Raphaelites and the Private Press movement inspired by William Morris in England. Advice on painting methods mingle with views on current art trends, family matters, and the Pissarros' struggles for recognition and enough money even to post their letters.