Alfred Sisley

Acknowledged as one of the masters of impressionist landscape, Alfred Sisley was born in Paris of English parents. His father was a wealthy silk merchant and intended him to make a career in business. He chose to devote himself to painting, however, and spent his whole life in France apart from a few visits to England.
In 1862, he joined Charles Gleyre’s studio, where he made the acquaintance of Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Frédéric Bazille. They became friends and got into the habit of working together in the open air, in the forest of Fontainebleau, to the southeast of the capital. Bankrupted by the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, Sisley took part in the first three impressionist exhibitions in 1874, 1876 and 1877, and the penultimate event in 1882. He painted Ile-de-France’s landscapes tirelessly, captivated by their gentle beauty, frequently depicting the rural villages of the Parisian west in canvases characterized by their pale tones, including the village of Bougival. In February 1880, he moved to the countryside near Moret-sur-Loing, a picturesque medieval village close to Fontainebleau that became a new source of inspiration for him.
He stood out from his impressionist friends by reason of his concern for composition, taste for big skies and predilection for perspectives carved out by a road or path. Nonetheless, he never enjoyed their success during his lifetime, despite the support provided by several art dealers.
In 1953, long after Paul Guillaume’s death, his widow, Domenica Walter acted on her own account to acquire the only canvas by Sisley included in his collection.

View Alfred Sisley’s work