2.4 Alfred Sisley

Alfred Sisley, a key Impressionist painter, was born in Paris to British parents. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he met Monet and Renoir. Sisley's love for landscape painting was sparked during a summer in the Forest of Fontainebleau.

Sisley's artistic style was characterized by plein air painting, vibrant colors, and loose brushwork. He excelled at capturing atmospheric effects and light on water. Despite financial struggles, Sisley's dedication to Impressionism left a lasting impact on the movement.

Life and career of Alfred Sisley

Early life in Paris

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• Born in Paris in 1839 to affluent British parents, providing him with financial stability to pursue art
• Studied at the Paris École des Beaux-Arts in 1862, where he likely first met fellow students Monet and Renoir
• Spent summer of 1863 painting outdoors in the Forest of Fontainebleau, a pivotal experience that sparked his love for landscape painting

Influence of Corot and Courbet

• Greatly admired the Barbizon school painters, especially Corot, whose delicate treatment of light and atmosphere inspired Sisley
• Courbet's Realist approach and plein air painting also had a significant impact on Sisley's early development as a landscape painter
• Like Corot and Courbet, Sisley aimed to capture the ephemeral qualities of nature through direct observation and painterly technique

Friendship with Monet and Renoir

• Formed close friendships with Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir during their student days in Paris
• Often painted together outdoors, sharing ideas and techniques as they developed the Impressionist style
• Participated in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 alongside Monet, Renoir, and other like-minded artists
• Maintained lifelong friendships and artistic exchanges with Monet and Renoir, even as their individual styles evolved

Artistic style and technique

Plein air landscape painting

• Committed to painting outdoors (en plein air) to directly capture the fleeting effects of light, weather, and seasons
• Frequently painted the landscapes around Paris and the Seine river valley, especially in the towns of Louveciennes and Marly-le-Roi
• Later settled in Moret-sur-Loing where he painted extensively along the banks of the Loing river and nearby countryside
• Plein air approach allowed Sisley to infuse his landscapes with a sense of immediacy, freshness, and authenticity

Use of color and light

• Employed a bright, harmonious palette to convey the vibrant hues of nature, often emphasizing blues, greens, and purples
• Masterfully depicted the play of sunlight on water, foliage, and clouds, capturing subtle variations in tone and hue
• Used color to evoke different moods and atmospheric effects, from the soft, diffused light of overcast days to the crisp, dappled sunlight of summer afternoons
• Juxtaposed warm and cool tones to create a sense of depth and luminosity in his landscapes

Loose, spontaneous brushwork

• Developed a distinctive brushwork characterized by short, rapid strokes that suggest rather than describe forms
• Applied paint in a loose, sketchy manner, leaving some areas of canvas visible and allowing colors to blend optically
• Brushwork conveys a sense of energy, movement, and spontaneity, capturing the dynamic, ever-changing qualities of nature
• Sisley's brushwork became increasingly free and expressive in his later works, anticipating the more abstract tendencies of Post-Impressionism

Depiction of atmospheric effects

• Excelled at capturing the subtle nuances of weather and atmosphere, from misty mornings to stormy skies
• Frequently depicted the effects of snow, rain, and fog, conveying the dampness and chill of winter landscapes
• Series of flood paintings from the 1870s showcase Sisley's ability to evoke the drama and power of nature through atmospheric effects
• Atmospheric effects imbue Sisley's landscapes with a poetic, dreamlike quality, inviting the viewer to immerse themselves in the mood and ambiance of the scene

Notable works by Sisley

Early period landscapes

• Early works from the 1860s and early 1870s reveal Sisley's mastery of the plein air technique and his keen eye for light and color
• Paintings like "Lane near a Small Town" (1864) and "Avenue of Chestnut Trees near La Celle-Saint-Cloud" (1865) exemplify his early style
• These works often feature tranquil rural scenes, winding paths, and dappled sunlight filtering through trees
• Demonstrate Sisley's early assimilation of Barbizon school influences and his emerging Impressionist sensibility

Paintings of the Seine river

• Frequently painted along the banks of the Seine river, capturing its winding course, lush vegetation, and shimmering reflections
• Works like "The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne" (1872) and "The Terrace at Saint-Germain, Spring" (1875) showcase his fascination with the river
• Seine paintings often include man-made structures like bridges, boats, and houses, harmoniously integrated into the natural landscape
• Convey a sense of serenity, balance, and the peaceful coexistence of human presence and nature

Series of flood paintings

• In the late 1870s, Sisley created a remarkable series of paintings depicting the floods along the Seine and Loing rivers
• Works like "Flood at Port-Marly" (1876) and "The Flood at Port-Marly" (1876) capture the dramatic, almost apocalyptic atmosphere of the flooded landscape
• Flood paintings demonstrate Sisley's ability to find beauty and poetry even in scenes of destruction and chaos
• Reveal his fascination with the power and unpredictability of nature, as well as his mastery of atmospheric effects and reflections

Later works in Moret-sur-Loing

• In the 1880s, Sisley settled in the small town of Moret-sur-Loing, where he would remain until his death in 1899
• Moret-sur-Loing period marked a shift towards a more introspective, personal approach to landscape painting
• Works like "The Bridge at Moret-sur-Loing" (1893) and "The Church at Moret, Morning" (1893) reveal a newfound sense of serenity and harmony
• Later works often feature softer, more muted colors and a gentler, more contemplative mood, reflecting Sisley's mature style and his deep connection to the landscape

Critical reception and legacy

Lack of recognition in lifetime

• Despite participating in all but one of the Impressionist exhibitions, Sisley struggled to achieve commercial success or critical acclaim during his lifetime
• Often overshadowed by his more famous colleagues like Monet and Renoir, Sisley's contributions to Impressionism were somewhat underappreciated
• Financial difficulties and personal tragedies, including the death of his wife, added to Sisley's challenges and relative obscurity
• Sisley remained committed to his artistic vision and continued to paint with passion and dedication, even in the face of adversity

Posthumous appreciation

• Following his death in 1899, Sisley's reputation began to grow as collectors and critics rediscovered the beauty and significance of his work
• Major retrospectives in the early 20th century, including exhibitions at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1911) and the Tate Gallery in London (1932), helped to establish his legacy
• Today, Sisley is recognized as one of the key figures of Impressionism, admired for his poetic, luminous landscapes and his unwavering commitment to plein air painting
• His works are held in major museums around the world, including the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the National Gallery in London

Influence on Post-Impressionism

• Although Sisley remained faithful to the core principles of Impressionism throughout his career, his later works anticipated some of the developments of Post-Impressionism
• His increasingly expressive brushwork, his emphasis on mood and emotion, and his move towards a more subjective, personal vision of the landscape foreshadowed the work of artists like Van Gogh and Gauguin
• Sisley's paintings of the 1880s and 1890s, with their simplified forms, flattened perspective, and bold color contrasts, paved the way for the more radical experiments of the next generation
• In this sense, Sisley can be seen as a bridge between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, a crucial link in the evolution of modern art

Position in Impressionist canon

• Despite his relative obscurity during his lifetime, Sisley is now firmly established as one of the central figures of Impressionism
• His unwavering dedication to landscape painting, his mastery of light and color, and his poetic, emotive approach to nature make him a quintessential Impressionist artist
• Sisley's work embodies the core values of the movement: the emphasis on plein air painting, the capturing of fleeting moments and atmospheric effects, the use of bright, pure colors, and the rejection of academic conventions
• Along with Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro, Sisley helped to define the visual language and the artistic philosophy of Impressionism, leaving an indelible mark on the history of art