Alfred Sisley

(probably) Ernest Hoschedé, Paris (sold: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, June 5-6, 1878, lot 87)
(probably) M. Dolfus, Paris
Durand-Ruel, Paris
M. Zygomalas, Marseille (sold: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, June 8, 1903, lot 42)
Durand-Ruel & Paul Rosenberg, Paris (acquired jointly at the above sale)
Paul Rosenberg, Paris (acquired in whole from Durand-Ruel on December 3, 1908)
Félix Gérard, Paris (by 1917)
Private Collection
Wildenstein & Co., New York
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel D. Feldman, Los Angeles (by 1966)
Jayne Feldman Berger, Los Angeles (sold: Christie's, New York, March 21, 1983, lot 11)
Fondation Rau, Zürich (sold: Christie's, New York, November 9, 1994, lot 5)
Acquavella Gallery, New York (by 1996)
R. M. Light & Co., Inc., Santa Barbara
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1996)

Paris, Galeries Georges Petit, Alfred Sisley, 1917, no. 8
New York, Wildenstein & Co., Sisley, 1966, no. 25, illustrated in the catalogue
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Collects: Impressions of France, 1998, no. 61, illustrated in color in the catalogue

François Daulte, Alfred Sisley, catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Lausanne, 1959, no. 206, illustrated
Jean-Jacques Lévêque, Les Années Impressionnistes 1870-1889, Paris, 1990, no. 302, illustrated

 

Original canvas. The heavier areas of horizontal craqueleur, visible to the naked eye, have been reinforced on the reverse with Japanese paper. Under ultra-violet light, there are thin lines of horizontal retouching in the sky; an area of retouching in the upper right corner and thin line of retouching (about 2cm) extending upwards from the bottom framing edge. Otherwise, this work is in good condition. Colors: The colors are overall fresher than they appear in the catalogue illustration. There is less black in the trees and the earth tone is not as red.
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 moved from Louveciennes to Marly-le-Roi in 1875, where he would stay for the next two years. An indefatigable walker, he would pack his easel and paint supplies, situate himself in the landscape and depict various aspects of his surroundings. This work is a wonderful example of Sisley's sensibility in capturing the mood of daily life in the countryside.

 

Sisley once defined his approach to these paintings, discussing the multifarious nature of a given scene and how he sought to convey all dimensions of his surroundings: "You see that I am an advocate of a diversity of treatment in the same picture. This is certainly not a generally held opinion, but I think I am right, especially when it is a question of rendering the effect of light. For although sunlight softens some parts of the landscape, it highlights others, and these light effects which express themselves almost physically in nature should be rendered physically on the canvas. Objects should be painted with their own texture, moreover – and above all – they should be bathed in light just as they are in nature. That's what has to be achieved. The sky must be the means of doing so (the sky cannot be a mere background). On the contrary, it not only helps to add depth through its planes (for the sky has planes just as the ground does), it also gives movement through its shape, and by its arrangement in relation to the effect or composition of the picture" (Alfred Sisley, quoted in R. Shone, Sisley, London, 1992, pp. 219 and 220).