Like most of the Impressionists, Pissarro's personal life and his road to success as a painter were neither simple nor easy. Born in 1830 in the Virgin Islands, Pissarro was the son of a general store owner. His parents sent him to boarding school in Paris, where he first discovered his interest in painting, encouraged by a teacher of his. Upon his return to the Virgin Islands, he was sent to work as a clerk in his father's store, ever sketching in his free moments (Rewald 10). When it became too much to bear, Pissarro ran away from his parents to Venezuela in order to pursue painting with an artist he met on his home island. Finally, his parents conceded to allow him to return to Paris and to seek success as an artist (Rewald 11).
On his arrival, Pissarro met and was influenced by such artists as Corot, Millet, Daubigny, and Courbet. He began to discover his own convictions with regard to art. Very much a realist, he believed that an artist should study and become in touch with nature (and other subject matter) in order to paint it as accurately as possible. Instead of pandering to the public, in his paintings giving false beauty to the subject, Pissarro painted as he saw, presenting to his viewers his “sensation” (Rewald 13). Though these views remained unpopular (and, perhaps more importantly at some points in his life, unprofitable) nearly to the end of his days, Pissarro upheld them in every work of art that he produced.
As with other Impressionists, such as Monet and Renoir, Pissarro dealt with a financial struggle while he sought to make his living painting. His first son, Lucien, was born to him shortly after he moved to France by Julie Vellay, whom he eventually married in London (Rewald 15). So, from an early age, Camille Pissarro had a family to support, and often his only source of income, besides what little he made on his paintings, was a meager allowance from his parents in the Virgin Islands. His financial burdens make his unwavering dedication to his convictions all the more admirable.
During his time in Paris, Pissarro met and became friends with Monet, 
Renoir, Sisley, and others who participated in the first Impressionist Exhibition of 1874 (Rewald 24). In fact, he became a leader of sorts for the group, largely due to his age and experience, and his tendency to be more level-headed and mild mannered than others in the group. Pissarro was so dedicated to the “Association of Independent Painters” that he was the only one to participate in every single Impressionist exhibition.
At the time of the exhibitions, and shortly thereafter, Pissarro became a bit depressed. Now in his fifties, he had seen little improvement in his status since his twenties, and he now had a wife and six children for which he was responsible (Rewald 34). He began to doubt his worth and talent as an artist, but nonetheless continued to be true to his beliefs, refusing to sell out to the public. However, in the 1890s, when the ideas of Impressionism began to catch on in the art world, Pissarro likewise caught on. For the first time in his life, he was able to enjoy a comfortable livelihood (Rewald 45). Suffering from eye disease, he lived out his life painting mostly indoors, relaxing after his struggle to achieve fame. Camille Pissarro died in 1903.
Images from top:
1) Self Portrait, 1898
2) Camille Pissarro Painting by Ludovic Piette, 1870
3) Pissarro and his wife, 1877
4) Pissarro with sons Ludovic-Rodolphe, Lucien, and Felix
5) Pissarro in his studio, 1897