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Lot Essay
In the summer of 1877 Sisley moved from Marly-le-Roi and settled in the nearby Parisian suburb of Sévres. He lived there for the next two and a half years, painting the surrounding landscape. "A gentle and new lyricism pervades his work. Sisley's paintings now radiate assurance, an eagerness for discovery and the enjoyment of a newly won freedom" (J. Rewald, The History of Impressionism, New York, 1946, p. 290).
The present painting portrays the activity along this industrial stretch of the waterway around the Quai de Grenelle, seen on an overcast day. The predominant role of the sky in the composition and Sisley's use of staccato-like brushwork to capture fleeting effects of light are essential characteristics of his landscape style, which more than anything else seeks to accurately record the visual impact of the changing atmospheric conditions. The pictorial arrangement of the composition, with its strong orthogonals creating planar divisions and dynamic perspectives, is also typical of his works from this period. "Sisley, more so in many cases than even Pissarro and Monet, was more radical than any of his sources, since he seeks to bring order to a world in an ever increasing state of flux. The depiction of modernity was best served by a resolute style derived from astute visual analysis and confident technique" (C. Lloyd, "Alfred Sisley and the Purity of Vision," Alfred Sisley, exh. cat., Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1992).
The present painting portrays the activity along this industrial stretch of the waterway around the Quai de Grenelle, seen on an overcast day. The predominant role of the sky in the composition and Sisley's use of staccato-like brushwork to capture fleeting effects of light are essential characteristics of his landscape style, which more than anything else seeks to accurately record the visual impact of the changing atmospheric conditions. The pictorial arrangement of the composition, with its strong orthogonals creating planar divisions and dynamic perspectives, is also typical of his works from this period. "Sisley, more so in many cases than even Pissarro and Monet, was more radical than any of his sources, since he seeks to bring order to a world in an ever increasing state of flux. The depiction of modernity was best served by a resolute style derived from astute visual analysis and confident technique" (C. Lloyd, "Alfred Sisley and the Purity of Vision," Alfred Sisley, exh. cat., Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1992).