The Crossroads, Pontoise

Painted in 1872 and held at the Carnegie Museum of Art, this canvas shows the crossroads at Pontoise — one of the earliest works from Pissarro's mature Pontoise period that began after he returned from wartime exile in London. Having been deeply influenced by Constable and Turner during his London stay of 1870–71, he returned to France with new ideas about light and atmospheric painting that he applied immediately to the Pontoise landscape. The crossroads, a humble rural meeting point of paths, exemplifies his preference for unmonumental, democratically chosen subjects — ordinary places elevated through attentive observation.

The early 1870s technique shows Pissarro consolidating his Impressionist approach after the London period — varied brushwork, outdoor freshness, attention to the specific quality of Pontoise light. The crossroads is built from warm ochres and greens, with the pale sky providing luminous contrast above tree forms.