Hugues Claude Pissarro

French, born 1935

Hugues Claude Pissarro is a French painter. He is the grandson of the Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro and son of Paul-Émile Pissarro. The Claude in his name is after his godfather, Claude Monet.

Hugues Claude was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, where he frequently returned with his father on painting excursions. Initially taught by his father, Hugues Claude first exhibited his work at the age of fourteen, and subsequently studied in Paris at the prestigious École du Musée du Louvre and at École Normale Supérieur, a unique French institution dedicated to the pursuit of achievement and excellence to which only the academic elite have access.

Inevitably, he later became a professor of art and taught for many years in places such as Monaco. He also taught his daughter, Lélia Pissarro, to paint

He is alternately known as Hugues Claude Pissarro, H. Claude Pissarro, and professionally as Isaac Pomié or Hugues Pissarro dit Pomié. His work has been featured in exhibitions in Europe and the United States and he was commissioned by the White House in 1959 to paint a portrait of U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower.

Pissarro’s work has evolved through a variety of different styles and techniques, from abstract to avant-garde. His exposure to wide-ranging influences within the Post-Impressionist movement resulted in his experimentation in a variety of art media. Not only is he a painter of landscapes and portraits but he has also explored engraving, lithography, and publishing.

By the end of 1989, Hugues Claude began a series of contemporary landscapes which were signed “Isaac Pomié” in order to distinguish them from his Impressionist works. Today, the contemporary paintings are signed “Hugues Pissarro dit Pomié”. They are painted on his characteristically large canvasses and using a skillful technique of applying the colours straight from the tube at speed to create a thick texture.

Pissarro divides his time with his family between Ireland and Normandy and remains passionate about his painting. Over his lifetime, he has produced an extraordinary collection of works and even after experimenting with many differing styles and mediums he always returns to his signature Post-Impressionistic style. He has a remarkable ability to use pastels to their full potential creating a unique feel to his works.