Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) was a French painter born in Paris, France. He was one of those famous painters of his time who founded French Impressionism. He was the son of a wealthy British family. Sisley’s parents had hoped that he would pursue a career in commerce. Sisley moved to London in 1857 to study business. During his stay in London, he spent much of his time visiting the exhibitions of John Constable and J M W Turner.

Later on, Sisley quit his studies and moved back to Paris after four years, 1860. He began painting as an amateur, and in 1862, Sisley enrolled in the atelier of Charles Gleyre’s to further his art studies. It was here that Sisley developed his association with Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, James Whistler and Jean Frederic Bazille. He learnt from Gleyre the technique to draw from memory and to study nature while stressing the importance of originality.

Excepting a few of his early works, none of his paintings made during his student life is available. Experts are of the opinion that his artworks prior to 1870 were destroyed after his flight from Bougival following the Prussian invasion. A few good examples of his early paintings are his three different renditions of Avenue of Chestnut Trees near La Celle-Saint (1867). The last version of this series was accepted into the Salon in 1868.

Sisley received an allowance from his father to support his career in art. This financial assistance placed him in a better position compared to his contemporaries. His painting Avenue of Chestnut Trees Near La Celle-Saint-Cloud received acceptance at the 1868 Salon exhibition in Paris. But the Salon in 1867 and 1869 rejected his entries. Sisley became a close friend of Pierre Auguste Renoir, who often spoke of his charismatic disposition and described him as a delightful human being. In 1866, Sisley fell in love with a florist named Larie-Louise and remained devoted to her until her death.

Receding flow of Income

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 caused financial ruin to his family and he had to flee temporarily to London. It was at this time that Sisley decided to make painting his full-time career. Sisley had to fend for himself on his income from his art sales. As his father’s silk business failed after the outbreak of war, he could not receive financial help from his father. He had to live a life in poverty all along as his art could not find many buyers during his lifetime. His application for French citizenship twice failed to earn him citizenship, once due to rejection and the second time due to his illness.

Productive Years

Sisley started feeling the financial crunch when he found that his art pieces were not selling and his father’s death had turned off the only other source of his income. Hence, he started dedicating himself more and more to painting he had to support his family financially. He started showing his true potential as a colourist and his ability to capture nature through the use of his brushstrokes. Sisley worked outdoors throughout his career and rarely retouched his compositions inside the studio. When he could not sell his paintings, he went back to The Salon in the 1870s. Sisley continued to exhibit his work steadily between 1874 and 1890 at most of the impressionistic shows as well as other art and corporate venue. Paul Durand Ruel, an art dealer whom Sisley met in 1872, represented him until 1891.

Lack of Recognition and Poverty

Sisley’s dire financial situation was aggravated by his low profile and lack of recognition in the art world. The situation forced him to live in poverty. Often, he had to seek loans for even meagre financial requirements. He and his family relocated to the outskirts of Paris a number of times looking for cheaper housing accommodations. The dire financial situation caused him emotional distress and kept him away from social engagements.

Fractured National Identity

Sisley’s fractured national identity could be a reason for not qualifying for scholarly consideration. He had to remain contented with his English citizenship as his applications for French citizenship were denied twice. Painter and art critic Eugene Fromentin considered Sisley as talented as Renoir, Monet and Pissarro. He went on to say that Sisley ‘enlarged the perception of Impressionist painting and joined the great European Landscapists’.

Monet, the Great Friend

This apart, he was always a friendly and good-natured person throughout his life. His wife Marie died of cancer in October 1898. When he found himself in poor health in 1899, he invited Monet to visit him in 1899. When Monet visited him, he asked Monet to care for his children. Sisley died a week later of throat cancer. Monet, the great painter, kept his word by arranging an auction of Sisley’s paintings through one Georges Petit. Art Critic, Wynford Dewhurst said ‘Rare are the artists who distinguish themselves in every branch of art, lucky the man who excelled in one.‘

Some of the Famous Paintings of Alfred Sisley

‘Avenue of Chestnut Trees Near La Celle-Saint-Cloud’ (1867)

‘Avenue of Chestnut Trees Near La Celle-Saint-Cloud’ (1867): This painting is an illustration of a hunting trail leading through a heavily wooded forest close to the village of La Celle. This painting was exhibited at the Salon of 1868. Sisley had painted it twice before, in 1865. The quality of the painting has been rated along with those of Hobbema, Rousseau, Corot and Daubigny. Experts think that Napoleon III owned this royal hunting ground and this was the reason the Salon of 1868 accepted this entry from Sisley.

‘Footbridge at Argenteuil’

Footbridge at Argenteuil (1872) portrays modern life at the end of the 19th century. Experts say that though the subject matter is not typical of Sisley’s oeuvre, the painting is a stylistic representation of his work. The painting is borne out of Sysley’s inspiration from the contemporary Japanese prints, in which the picture plane is the main focus of the composition.

‘The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne’

The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne is a depiction of an Impressionistic landscape along the Riverbank of the Seine. The painting portrays the artist’s perception of the natural world and it captures the fleeting effect of light on a surface. The faint nuances of colour of the wavy river water brilliantly reflect the varying shades of blue sky, white and grey clouds, the dark and greenish shadow of the overbridge, green grassy knoll and the buildings in the background. The painter’s idea to place human figures below the structure might be to provide a sense of the monumental size and scale of the structure.

‘The River Loing at Saint-Mammes’

‘The River Loing at Saint-Memmes’ (1885) is a depiction of a port where the Loing and Seine Rivers meet. Sisley painted this subject several times during his stay at Sablons and the lack of shadows and intense and warm colors suggest that it is a summer afternoon. The river that lies in the middle of the four horizontal layers, ie, the grassy knoll, the river, the beach with red roof building and the blue sky at the top of the layers, reflects the other layers in their true distinctive colors. The color scheme also displays the depiction of the boats and the Paris-Lyons railway viaduct in the distance.

‘Haystacks at Moret, Morning’

‘Haystacks at Moret, Morning’ is one of Sisleys famous paintings that shows a massive landscape. The landscape includes four haystacks painted diagonally in a row and receding into the background. The row of poplar trees framing the background of the painting lend further space to the vastness of the painting. The landscape also includes a peasant working in the field and it appears that the size of the human figure heightens the scale and size of the haystacks. It may also be an attempt by the painter to portray the basically agrarian characteristics of France and its bountiful nature.

‘The Church at Moret: Morning Sun’

Sisley’s painting ‘The Church at Moret: Morning Sun’ shows the Church of Notre Dame at Moret-sur-Loing as seen from the West Portal entrance. Experts say that Sisley painted this subject a number of times as a series after settling down in Moret in 1889. The architecture of the stone structure covers the entire canvas, showing its massive size. The painting is an example of the painter’s brilliance in capturing the quality of the morning light as it moves and shadows lighten up the whole work. Experts feel that ‘The Church of Moret’ is quite similar to the paintings of Monet’s Rouen Cathedral Series (1890s).