Alfred Sisley
(1839 - 1899)
Born: Paris, France
Style: Impressionism
Famous Works:
- Rue de La Machine (1873)
- The Seine at Bougival (1873)
- Snow at Louveciennes (1878)
Impressionist Alfred Sisley enjoyed painting landscapes in diverse lighting, and was more committed to landscapes that any other impressionist painter. He trained with young artists Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Frédérick Bazille in the studio of Charles Gleyre in Paris. Along with his colleagues, Sisley left the confines of the indoor studio, and went outside to paint. Plein air painting was vital to the Sisley, allowing him to observe, first hand, the effects of light on his subject. A trademark of Sisley's landscapes was to incorporate streets and roads that invited the viewer into the painting, inspired, perhaps, by the work of Camille Corot. Also of particular interest to Sisley were the differences in varied atmospheric conditions. By intense observation of scenes, both urban and rural, affected by weather, season, and time of day, Sisley was able to produce works that documented his experience with light. Sisley's canvases are built up by expressive brushstrokes of color, relating the spontaneous reaction of the artist. Luminosity of color, and truthfulness in translation of vision drove Sisley's work. This approach was formed into a distinct style with the collective help of Claude Monet. Together, these two men transformed the tradition of painting, starting a method of recording experience which was to influence artists for generations.
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