Blue and green are the principal colors in this painting, with varying shades of the latter dominatinBlue and green are the principal colors in this painting, with varying shades of the latter dominating. And while modern viewers may find the color to be a natural choice for a pastoral scene, folks in the late 19th century weren't so pleased. When this painting was finished in 1874, impressionism was just bursting into bloom and the artist, Camille Pissarro , was a leading figure in the radical new art movement. The painting we see was controversial for a few reasons: The blurred brushstrokes were thought to look unfinished, and the subject matter considered mundane. But simply the use of so much green on a canvas was also shocking—prior to impressionism, green was used sparingly, as it was considered too harshly realistic.'A Cowherd at Valhermeil, Auvers-sur-Oise' is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City... See more See less
