La gare de Moret-sur-Loing, soleil d’hiver

During the bleak winters of the late nineteenth century in Moret-sur-Loing, Alfred Sisley would paint en plein air to fully immerse himself in the poetic silence of wintry landscapes. La gare de Moret-sur-Loing, soleil d'hiver is a notable work from this period in the artist's production, harnessing the crisp, purposeful colours of pastel and creating a velvet-like rendering of the season. Other masters, namely Camille Pissarro, were also known to work whilst bracing the cold, creating masterpieces such as Effet de neige à Montfoucault.
Sisley’s dedication to his art led him to suffer from a temporary facial paralysis caused by the freezing temperatures. This incident did not halt his interest in portraying snowy settings as he continued to execute works directly from the window of his studio. In this period, Sisley, who had only recently started working in earnest with pastel, was so captivated by his artistic project that he secluded himself in Moret-sur-Loing.
La gare de Moret-sur-Loing sous la neige, housed at the Cincinnati Art Museum, depicts the same station. The desolate scene, perhaps reflecting Sisley’s state of reclusion, shows a few indefinite figures struggling to cross the snow-covered platform towards a train, set against a bleak white sky. In stark contrast, La gare de Moret-sur-Loing, soleil d'hiver shows the entrance of the station of Moret-sur-Loing, lit by warm amber sunlight shining through the field and painting the bare tree branches red. Puffs of white smoke are glimpsed from the moving train in the distance, whilst the white covering on the street is slowly melting away. This scene appears to be the promise of a new season, possibly symbolising Sisley’s recovery as well as the peak of his study of pastel.
Situated on the threshold between rural Moret-sur-Loing and the expanding industrialisation of Paris, this station bridges the dual landscapes favoured by the Impressionists: the countryside and the metropolis. By choosing this location, Sisley not only reflects on his own position, but also engages with a broader fascination with modernity. This work is thus a testament to Sisley's eye for capturing the winter light upon Moret-sur-Loing and to his masterful application of the pastel medium.