Xico Greenwald reviews the exhibition Pissarro at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, on view through September 15, 2013.

Greenwald writes: "Working in the countryside on the outskirts of Paris, Pissarro’s landscapes examine various lighting and weather conditions with a naturalism that sets him apart from his colleagues. Because he faithfully studied the play of light and shadow throughout the seasons, Pissarro changed his palette and the size of his stroke to suit the scene he was depicting, painting quickly or slowly, colors sometimes muted, sometimes vivid. As a result, Pissarro’s works do not have the easily recognized style of Renoir or Monet. Writing about his faithful depiction of nature, Émile Zola said that in Pissarro’s landscapes 'one hears the profound voices of the earth and feels the powerful life of the trees.'"