ALFRED SISLEY | La Seine au bas-Meudon

François de Curel, Paris
Mlle de Curel, Paris (by descent from the above and sold: Palais Galliéra, Paris, June 21, 1961)
Jacques Guerlain, Paris
Sale: Palais Galliéra, Paris, November 23, 1965, lot 208
Galerie Pétridès, Paris
Private Collection, Paris
Wildenstein & Co., Inc., New York
Private Collection, Canada (acquired from the above on October 15, 1968)
Thence by descent

Very good condition. The canvas is lined. Under UV, there are tiny specks of retouching scattered in the central sky, a triangular dot in the white rocks and a few specks in the water.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Sisley painted the present view of the Seine in the autumn of 1878 in Meudon, a suburb southwest of Paris. Painted at the height of his involvement with the Impressionist group, the scene possesses the hallmarks of a great Impressionist landscape, featuring abundant light reflecting off the water and filtering through the clouds. In his monograph on the artist, Richard Shone writes, "The landscape paintings of Alfred Sisley occupy an inviolable position in the history of early Impressionism. His depictions of the Thames at Hampton Court, the Seine in flood, the snow-bound suburbs of Paris are indispensable to an account of Impressionist landscape painting in the 1870s" (Richard Shone, Sisley, New York, 1992, p. 7).

The present work was part of the collection of Jacques Guerlain, whose family founded the eponymous Parisian perfume house. Jacques was a second generation parfumier and the most successful in the house's history, creating dozens of legendary fragrances in his storied career. Guerlain's collection also featured works by Sisley's peers including Claude Monet, Édouard Manet and Henri Fantin-Latour.

This painting will be included in the new edition of the Catalogue Raisonné of Alfred Sisley by François Daulte now being prepared at the Galerie Brame & Lorenceau by the Comité Sisley.