Jacques Rousseau

Jacques Rousseau painted the foggy pines and misty riverbanks around Paris so often that locals joked he only worked on overcast days. He kept a tiny brush in his waistcoat pocket for quick sketches whenever the light turned dull-gray, just the right moment for those soft, smoky blues and grays. You’ll spot his trick if you stand in front of “View of the Ile de la Cité,” where the buildings seem to dissolve into the sky—no sharp edges, just the city breathing in and out.