On the Bank of the ravine de Saint-Antoine, L'Hermitage, Pontoise

This 1876 canvas from Ordrupgaard in Copenhagen shows the steep ravine of Saint-Antoine at L'Hermitage, a geological feature of the hillside above Pontoise that gave the district its dramatic topography. The ravine, with its exposed chalk banks and overhanging trees, was painted by Pissarro in multiple versions — its combination of geological drama and intimate scale suited his preference for subjects that were neither conventionally scenic nor entirely ordinary. The Ordrupgaard collection preserves an important group of Pissarro's Pontoise works acquired through Danish collecting before the First World War.

Pissarro uses vertical and diagonal compositional elements to render the ravine's depth — the bank sloping steeply and the trees leaning above it. The chalk bank is rendered in cool whites and pale greys. The foliage is built in varied, warm greens. The composition is intimate and enclosed, contrasting with his broader panoramic landscapes.