ALFRED SISLEY | Bougival

Jules Feder, Paris
Galerie Durand-Ruel et Cie., Paris (acquired from the above in 1892)
Durand-Ruel Galleries, New York (acquired from the above in 1897)
Arthur Tooth & Sons, Ltd., London (acquired from the above in 1929)
The Lefevre Gallery (Alex. Reid & Lefevre, Ltd.), London
Private Collection, London
The Pace Gallery, New York
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1987)
Sale: Christie's, New York, 4th May 2011, lot 39
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

New York, Durand-Ruel Galleries, Paintings by Sisley, 1917, no. 13
New York, Durand-Ruel Galleries, Exhibition of Paintings by Alfred Sisley, 1927, no. 8
London, The Lefevre Gallery (Alex. Reid & Lefevre, Ltd.), Important XIX and XX Century works of art, 1984, no. 18

François Daulte, Alfred Sisley, Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint, Lausanne, 1959, no. 209, illustrated, n.p.

The canvas is not lined. Examination under UV light reveals some minor spots of retouching along the left, right and upper edge, probably corresponding to frame abrasion and not visible when framed. There is a minor area of paint shrinkage to the centre of the composition. This work is in overall very good condition.
"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."

Depicting the environs of Bougival on a windswept day, Bougival reveals Alfred Sisley’s total mastery of the landscape genre. The artist felt a particular affinity for the villages situated within the close environs of Paris, depicting these quiet localities which clustered along the Seine with a local’s affectionate eye. Endlessly fascinated by the changing effects of light and weather, Sisley frequently painted the same scene at each season and at varying times of day, suggesting the evolving conditions and permutations of light through different brushwork and painterly techniques. Within the present work the artist employed rapid, feathery brushstrokes to suggest the sensation of the breeze gusting through the trees, whilst broken clouds scud through the wide expanse of sky. The sky served as a key compositional anchor within his paintings, as Sisley noted: ‘The sky itself is the medium. 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 the clouds give movement to a picture…’ (quoted in Vivienne Couldrey, The English Impressionist, London, 1992, p. 71). After the Prussian siege of Paris in 1871, Sisley decided to move with his family to the village of Louveciennes, situated on the river Seine, about thirty kilometres west of the capital, and in the winter of 1874 they moved to the neighbouring Marly-le-Roi. This setting provided the artist with a new creative impetus and, once settled, he started working with fresh energy. He explored the beauty of the Seine valley, and took delight in painting this new environment, trying to capture the effects of season, weather and time of day on the countryside, whilst experimenting with the effects of light and colour. The village of Bougival, where the present work was painted, served as a particular source of inspiration for the artist, and Mary-Anne Stevens has outlined the specific aspects of the place which might have attracted the artist: ‘Lying slightly further away from the centre of Paris and thus as yet untouched by the spreading suburban industrialisation and urban growth which had already hit towns closer in […] Bougival’s riverbanks retained traditional small-scale industries such as saw mills and sand extraction […] Bougival and its buildings were picturesquely clustered along the river bank’ (quoted in Alfred Sisley (exhibition catalogue), Royal Academy of Arts, London (and travelling), 1992, p. 116).

The first owner of the present work was Jules Feder, celebrated as one of the earliest supporters of Durand-Ruel and the Impressionist painters. As the director of a bank, Union Générale, Feder helped Durand-Ruel to make significant purchases of Impressionist works, including around twenty paintings by Sisley.