Alfred Sisley

Georges Petit, Paris (sold: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Vente Georges Petit, March 4-5, 1921, lot 108)
Galerie Allard, Paris
Kojiro Matsukata, Paris
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, November 5, 1981, lot 185

Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, A. Sisley, 1897, no. 124
Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, Alfred Sisley, 1917, no. 84

François Daulte, Alfred Sisley: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1959, no. 857, illustrated

Excellent Condition. Original canvas. Surface layer is clean and retains good impasto. There is some slight cracking in white pigments (in vase). Under UV light, no apparent inpainting, otherwise fine.
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.

Painted near the town of Moret, Cabanes au bord du Loing, Effet du Matin combines the artist's favorite subjects: the beautiful nature of the river and architecture one finds along its banks. In the last decade of his life, Moret provided a perfect setting for the artist, who cherished its beauty and quietude, and found in it an important source of inspiration.

Sisley was fascinated by the river Loing, with its multi-arched bridge lined with mills which he painted from a multitude of viewpoints. For the present work, he set up his easel somewhere on the outskirts of Moret. Juxtaposing brushstrokes of peach, brown, green and purple tones, he captures the shifting effect of sunlight and shadows. Sisley depicted the current scene on a bright summer day, the blue sky with light scattered clouds and the surrounding nature reflected on the surface of the river.

Richard Shone discussed the appeal of this picturesque town and it's immediate surroundings: "The fame of Moret rested not so much on what was found inside the town but on the view it presented from across the Loing. Old flour and tanning mills clustered along the bridge; the river, scattered with tiny islands, seemed more like a moat protecting the houses and terraced gardens that, on either side the sturdy Porte de Bourgogne, in turn defended the pinnacled tower of the church. Add to this the tree-lined walks along the river, the continuous sound of water from the weir and the great wheels of the mills, the houseboats and fishermen, and there was, as every guidebook exclaimed, 'a captivating picture', a sight 'worthy of the brush.' These supremely picturesque aspects of Moret left Sisley unabashed. Gathered in one spot were the motifs that had mesmerized him since he began to paint. Here were water, sky, reflections, a busy riverside; the multi-arched bridge was for the artist the last in a long line of such structures going back through Sèvres and St-Cloud and Hampton Court to Argenteuil and Villeneuve-la-Garenne. Here was that conjunction of man-made and natural, the interleaving of foliage and house fronts between sky and water" (Richard Shone, Sisley, London, 1992, p. 159).

The beautifully painted sky in the present work embodies the importance that the artist attached to this part of the landscape, as explained in a letter to his friend, the art critic Adolphe Tavernier: "The sky is not simply a background; its planes give depth (for the sky has planes, as well as solid ground), and the shapes of clouds give movement to a picture. What is more beautiful indeed than the summer sky, with its wispy clouds idly floating across the blue? What movement and grace! Don't you agree? They are like waves on the sea; one is uplifted and carried away" (quoted in Sisley (exhibition catalogue), Wildenstein & Co., New York, 1966, n.p.).