Camille Pissarro
The Highway (‘La Cote de Valhermeil’)
1879
Physical Qualities
Oil on canvas, 25 1/4 x 31 1/2 in. (64.1 x 80 cm.)
Credit Line
The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland
Object Number
1950.280
Around 1880, Camille Pissarro painted a number of views of Valhermeil, a hamlet near Pontoise, northwest of Paris, where he settled after the Franco‑Prussian War. Here, the small regular touches of pigment in certain passages of the landscape, road, and sky suggest the direction he would pursue in 1885, when he adopted a Pointillist technique—methodically dotting the canvas with pure unmixed paint to create an illusion of more intense colors.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by bequest, 1949; Etta Cone, Baltimore, by bequest, 1929; Claribel Cone, Baltimore, by purchase, August 3, 1929; Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne; M. Ruchonnet, Lausanne, Switzerland; Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, by purchase, December 1913; Julie Pissaro, by inheritance, 1900; the artist (husband)
Adelyn D. Breeskin, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection of Modern Paintings and Sculpture", April 1, 1930-December 1, 1930, no. 46. (Exhibited as "Landscape")
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Selections from the Cone Collection", October 7, 1949-December 31, 1949, no. 80.
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "From Ingres to Gauguin: French Nineteenth Century Paintings Owned in Maryland", November 13, 1951-December 30, 1951, no. 99.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, October 23, 1953-November 22, 1953.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, October 21, 1955-November 4, 1955.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro,October 28, 1958-November 24, 1958.
William A. McGonagle, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE, "Mary Cassatt Among the Impressionists", April 10, 1969-June 1, 1969, no. 42.
Jane Harrison Cone, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to Wildenstein and Company, New York, March 29, 1974-May 4, 1974, no. 43.
Joel Isaacson, The University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, "The Crisis of Impressionism 1878-1882", November 2, 1979-January 6, 1980, no. 39. (Exhibited as "La Cote du Valhermeil")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Masterpieces from the Cone Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, October 6, 1985- November 24, 1985; Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, December 14, 1985-February 9, 1986.
Brenda Richardson, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Claude Monet: Impressionist Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston", October 13, 1991-January 19, 1992.
Brenda Richardson, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Van Gogh to Matisse: Impressionist and Modern Masters from the Cone Collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, November 21, 1993-January 30, 1994.
The Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Triumph of French Painting: Masterpieces from Ingres to Matisse", March 12, 2000-July 16, 2000, no. 31; circulated to The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, August 13, 2000-November 26, 2000; The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, January 6, 2001-March 11, 2001; Royal Academy of Arts, London, June 30, 2001-September 23, 2001; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, November 3, 2001-January 6, 2002.
Eric M. Zafran, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, "Impressionism to Surrealism from the Baltimore Museum of Art", February 8, 2002-April 21, 2002, no. 40.
Sona K. Johnson, BMA, Baltimore, "Barbizon and Impressionist Works from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated by Brain Trust to Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, January 11-February 16, 2003; Sakura City Museum of Art, Chiba, February 27-March 30, 2003; Okazaki City Museum, April 5-May 18, 2003; Suntory Museum, Osaka, May 24-July 6, 2003; Miyazaki Prefectural Museum, July 12-August 17, 2003.
Terence Maloon, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, "Camille Pissarro", November 19, 2005-February 19, 2006, no. 47; circulated to National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, March 4, 2006-May 28, 2006. (Exhibited as "The Highway: La Côte de Valhermeil")
Katy Rothkopf, BMA, "Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore", circulated to The Jewish Museum, New York, 6 May-25 September 2011, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2 June-23 September 2012, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, 3 November 2012-10 February 2013.
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Selections from the Cone Collection", October 7, 1949-December 31, 1949, no. 80.
Gertrude Rosenthal, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "From Ingres to Gauguin: French Nineteenth Century Paintings Owned in Maryland", November 13, 1951-December 30, 1951, no. 99.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, October 23, 1953-November 22, 1953.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, October 21, 1955-November 4, 1955.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Cone Collection", circulated to The Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro,October 28, 1958-November 24, 1958.
William A. McGonagle, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE, "Mary Cassatt Among the Impressionists", April 10, 1969-June 1, 1969, no. 42.
Jane Harrison Cone, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to Wildenstein and Company, New York, March 29, 1974-May 4, 1974, no. 43.
Joel Isaacson, The University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, "The Crisis of Impressionism 1878-1882", November 2, 1979-January 6, 1980, no. 39. (Exhibited as "La Cote du Valhermeil")
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Masterpieces from the Cone Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, October 6, 1985- November 24, 1985; Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, December 14, 1985-February 9, 1986.
Brenda Richardson, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Claude Monet: Impressionist Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston", October 13, 1991-January 19, 1992.
Brenda Richardson, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Van Gogh to Matisse: Impressionist and Modern Masters from the Cone Collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, November 21, 1993-January 30, 1994.
The Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Triumph of French Painting: Masterpieces from Ingres to Matisse", March 12, 2000-July 16, 2000, no. 31; circulated to The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, August 13, 2000-November 26, 2000; The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, January 6, 2001-March 11, 2001; Royal Academy of Arts, London, June 30, 2001-September 23, 2001; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, November 3, 2001-January 6, 2002.
Eric M. Zafran, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, "Impressionism to Surrealism from the Baltimore Museum of Art", February 8, 2002-April 21, 2002, no. 40.
Sona K. Johnson, BMA, Baltimore, "Barbizon and Impressionist Works from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated by Brain Trust to Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, January 11-February 16, 2003; Sakura City Museum of Art, Chiba, February 27-March 30, 2003; Okazaki City Museum, April 5-May 18, 2003; Suntory Museum, Osaka, May 24-July 6, 2003; Miyazaki Prefectural Museum, July 12-August 17, 2003.
Terence Maloon, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, "Camille Pissarro", November 19, 2005-February 19, 2006, no. 47; circulated to National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, March 4, 2006-May 28, 2006. (Exhibited as "The Highway: La Côte de Valhermeil")
Katy Rothkopf, BMA, "Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore", circulated to The Jewish Museum, New York, 6 May-25 September 2011, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2 June-23 September 2012, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, 3 November 2012-10 February 2013.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection of Modern Paintings and Sculpture," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1930, p.6, no.46. (Published as "Landscape")
Etta Cone, "The Cone Collection of Baltimore-Maryland," Baltimore: Etta Cone, 1934, p. 26, pl. 10, ill. (Published as "La Grande Route")
Ludovic Rodo Pissarro and Lionello Venturi, "Camille Pissarro: Son Art - Son Oeuvre," Paris: Paul Rosenberg, 1939, vols. 1, 2, p. 152, no. 510, ill. (Published as "La Cote du Valhermeil")
George Boas, Adelyn D. Breeskin and J.G. D'Arcy Paul, "Selections from the Cone Collection," "News of the Baltimore Museum of Art," October 1949, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 21.
"Dr. Claribel and Miss Etta, Collectors," "Art News," vol. XLVIII, no. 9, January 1950, p. 40.
Gertrude Rosenthal, "From Ingres to Gauguin: French Nineteenth Century Paintings Owned in Maryland," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1951, pp. 13, 32, 34, no. 99, ill.
George Boas, Adelyn Breeskin, and Gertrude Rosenthal, "Cone Collection: A Handbook with a Catalogue of Paintings and Sculpture," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1955, p. 39, no. 99.
George Boas, Adelyn Breeskin, and Gertrude Rosenthal, "Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings in the Cone Collection," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1967, pp. 17, 68, no. 94.
William A. McGonagle and Adelyn D. Breeskin, "Mary Cassatt Among the Impressionists," Omaha, NE: Joslyn Art Museum, 1969, pp. 52, 73, no. 42, ill.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Cone Collection from the Baltimore Museum of Art: A Benefit Exhibition at Wildenstein," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1974, no. 43.
Joel Isaacson, "The Crisis of Impressionism 1878-1882," Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Museum of Art, 1979, pp. 154-155, no. 39, ill. (Published as "La Côte du Valhermeil")
Brenda Richardson, "Dr. Claribel & Miss Etta: The Cone Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1985, pp. 119, 181, 182, 202, p. 181, ill.
Nobuyuki Senzoku and Akira Tomita, "Matisse and Modern Masters from the Cone Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art," Tokyo: Brain Trust Inc., 1996, p. 32, fig. 8, ill.
Bent Lantow, "Pissarro Contre la A104," "Vivre en Val-d'Oise," June-August 1998, n.p., ill.
Sona K. Johnston and William R. Johnston, "The Triumph of French Painting: Masterpieces from Ingres to Matisse," London: Scala Publishers, 2000, pp. 32, 41, 102-103, 156, no. 31, ill.
Eric M. Zafran, "Impressionism to Surrealism from the Baltimore Museum of Art," Hartford: Wadsworth Atheneum, 2002, pp. 8, 20, no. 40, ill.
Sona K. Johnson et al, "Barbizon and Impressionist Works from The Baltimore Museum of Art," Tokyo: "Barbizon and Impressionist Works from The Baltimore Museum of Art" catalogue committee, 2003, no. 90, p. 126, ill.
Terrence Maloon, "Camille Pissarro," Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2005, pp. 142, 251, no. 47, ill. (Published as "The Highway: La Côte de Valhermeil")
Joachim Pissarro, Claire Durand-Ruel Snollaerts, "Pissarro: Catalogue Critique des Peintures, vol. II," Paris/Milan: Wildenstein Institute/Skira, 2005, p. 418, no. 623, ill. (Published as "La Côte du Valhermeil, Auvers-sur-Oise")
Karen Levitov, "Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore," New York: The Jewish Museum, 2011, pp. 21, 47, 77, pl. 23, ill.
Fillion, Susan. Miss Etta and Dr. Claribel: Bringing Matisse to America. Boston: David R. Godine, 2011, page 14.
Inscribed: Recto: Signed and dated lower left, "C. Pissarro. 80"
