Artwork
The Rat
The Rat is an oil painting by Félix Pissarro. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1895, *The Rat* is an oil painting by Félix Pissarro, the youngest son of the Impressionist Camille Pissarro. The work depicts a solitary white rat with black spots, upright on its hind legs, examining a yellow vegetable on a grassy field. It is part of the Ashmolean Museum’s collection in Oxford.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the rat’s curious posture as it gazes at a yellow squash or pumpkin lying among the grass. The juxtaposition of the animal and the vegetable suggests a fleeting, everyday encounter, inviting viewers to consider the quiet drama of ordinary rural life.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting employs bold, energetic brushstrokes and a vivid palette of greens, yellows, and whites. The handling of paint emphasizes movement, while the contrast between the rat’s spotted fur and the bright vegetable creates visual tension within the natural setting.
History & Provenance
Félix Pissarro completed the work shortly before his untimely death in 1897 at the age of twenty‑three. Though his career was brief, he produced etchings and caricatures under the name Jean Roch. *The Rat* entered the Ashmolean Museum’s holdings, where it remains on display.
Context
Born into a family of Portuguese‑Jewish descent, Félix grew up amid the artistic milieu of his father’s Impressionist circle. While his oeuvre is limited, the painting reflects the late‑19th‑century interest in naturalistic observation and the playful exploration of everyday subjects common among younger artists of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Félix Pissarro (also known by the pseudonym Jean Roch; 24 July 1874 – 29 November 1897) was a nineteenth-century French painter, etcher and caricaturist of Portuguese-Jewish descent.
