Alfred Sisley

Robert Bernheim, Paris
Wildenstein & Co., London (acquired from the above in 1936)
Lady Kroyer Kielberg (acquired from the above in 1944 and sold: Sotheby's, London, December 3, 1975, lot 12)
Piccadilly Gallery, London (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1975

G. Besson, Sisley, Paris, n.d., illustrated pl. 45
E. Fouguerat, "Sisley," Médecines et Peintures, n.d., illustrated p. 9
François Daulte, Alfred Sisley, catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Lausanne, 1959, no. 671, illustrated in a prior state

Original canvas. The surface is beautifully intact and the colors are fresh. Under ultra-violet light, there is no evidence of retouching. This work is in excellent condition. Colors: Over all, the tonality of the picture is not as purple as it appears in the catalogue illustration.
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.

The depictions of the seasons were favorite themes for the Impressionists, who reveled in capturing the changes in the landscape and the quality of light at different times of day.  In this depiction from 1888 of Moret, a picturesque town along the Loing river, Sisley paints the landscape as it appears under the bright summer sun. 

Sisley cherished the beauty and calm of Moret, which provided an important source of inspiration.  Richard Shone discussed the appeal of this location and the artist's affinity for painting it: "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 interweaving of foliage and house-fronts between sky and water" (R. Shone, Sisley, London, 1992, p. 159).