Alfred Sisley

Emil Staub-Terlinden, Männedorf
Wildenstein & Co., Paris & New York
Edward G. Robinson, Beverly Hills
Wildenstein & Co., Paris & New York
Emil Staub-Terlinden, Männedorf
M. Knoedler & Co., New York
Prince Abdul Reza Pahlavi, New York & Paris
Harold Diamond, Inc., New York
Dr & Mrs George, Michigan
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York
Private Collection, USA (acquired from the above by 1992)
Galerie de la Présidence, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, La Peinture française du XIXe Siécle en Suisse, 1937, no. 112
New York, Museum of Modern Art & Washington, National Gallery of Art, Forty Paintings from the Edward G. Robinson Collection, 1953, no. 32 (as dating from 1875)
California, Los Angeles County Museum of Art & San Francisco, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, The Gladys Lloyd Robinson and Edward G. Robinson Collection, 1956–57, no. 62, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, Wildenstein & Co., Sisley, 1966, no. 32, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, A Selection of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Works, 1990, no. 6
London, Royal Academy; Paris, Musée d'Orsay & Baltimore, The Walters Art Gallery, Alfred Sisley, 1992-93, no. 44, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti, Alfred Sisley, Poeta dell'impressionismo, 2002, no. 33, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

François Daulte, 'Découverte de Sisley', in Connaissance des Arts, no. 60, February 1957, illustrated p. 51
François Daulte, Alfred Sisley: catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint, Lausanne, 1959, no. 255, illustrated
Jane Robinson, Edward G. Robinson's World of Art, New York, 1971, illustrated in colour p. 15

The canvas is unlined. Apart from some minor scattered spots of retouching to the upper right quadrant in the sky, some thin horizontal lines and some spots of retouching to the upper edge, and a T-shaped spot of retouching to the centre of the trees in the background, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly fresher and stronger in the original.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Sisley painted this view of Le Pont de Saint-Cloud during a period in which he produced some of his finest works.  Sisley became renowned for his ability to capture the very essence of light, shade and the temporal elements. The artist has taken up a position with his back to Paris. The unconventional perspective of the Seine seen from beneath the bridge is a compositional triumph that acts as a counterbalance to the flow of the river and leads the eye into the landscape. The present work also displays the exuberant palette the artist was employing at the end of the decade, as evidenced in the crystal blue and verdant greens of the background.  

Discussing the present work Christopher Lloyd wrote: 'The style of  [Le Pont de Saint-Cloud] is vigorous. The rushing water in the foreground has a surface licked by strokes of orange and violet colour with touches of luminous white. The sky is equally animated and vividly coloured, although with more grey and less blue. The spire of the church reaches up over the buidings in the town which are depicted by quixotic dabs of colour (red, blue-grey, purple, white, green) amounting to a confection and dynamism that is reminiscent of certain paintings by Cézanne dating from the mid 1870's. The slashed horizontal strokes used for the black forms of the barges tied up at the quai are remarkable both in terms of colour and the degree of spontaneity. The painting reveals Sisley at his most vital and energetic' (Christopher Lloyd in Alfred Sisley (exhibition catalogue), Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1992, p. 176).

Le Pont de Saint-Cloud has a distinguished provenance having once been in the collection of Edward G. Robinson, the Hollywood producer and art collector. He shared his passion with a wide audience through a series of travelling exhibitions that featured at major American museums. in which the present work was included.