Camille Pissarro

1830 - 1903

Camille Pissarro was born on the Caribbean island of Saint Thomas. His father was French and Jewish, his mother Creole. After a few years as a clerk in his father's textile business, Pissarro left for Venezuela to be an artist, then eventually settled in France. For years, he struggled to support his wife and eight children with his painting. Called "Papa Pissarro" by almost everyone, he was much loved by other artists and his five sons grew up to be artists themselves.