ALFRED SISLEY | Bords de la Seine à la Roche-Guyon

Marc François, Paris (and sold: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, March 20, 1935, lot 15)
Daniel Cordier, Paris
Galerie Romanet, Paris
Arthur Tooth & Sons, London (acquired from the above on October 15, 1959)
Mrs. H. Lerner (acquired from the above on December 3, 1959)
Sale: Sotheby's, London, July 1, 1964, lot 91
O'Hana Galleries, London (and sold: Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, November 20, 1968, lot 28)
Acquired at the above sale

London, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Recent Acquisitions, 1959, n.n.

The work is in very good condition. Executed on cream-colored wave paper which has been adhered to a board along the extreme perimeter of its verso. The medium is bright and well-preserved. There are some scattered nicks along the extreme perimeter of the sheet. There is a 1/2 inch tear along the extreme lower edge, toward the right corner. There is a 1 inch tear along the extreme upper edge left of center, extending into the upper sky. Otherwise fine.
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.

After the siege of Paris in 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War, Sisley decided to move with his family to the village of Louveciennes, situated on the river Seine, about twelve miles west of Paris. He remained in the town until in the winter of 1874, when they moved to the neighboring Marly-le-Roy. Many of the Impressionists similarly chose to work in the hinterland of Paris: his closest friend and fellow painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a frequent visitor to Louveciennes and Monet lived upstream at Argenteuil.

Sisley found the area surrounding Louveciennes rich with artistic potential. Aside from the town’s own aesthetic attractions, its central position on the Seine between Port Marly, Marly-le-Roi and Moret (see fig. 1) provided him with nearly limitless spots on which to set up his easel and study the river’s landscape. He took delight in painting this new environment, trying to capture the effects of season, weather and time of day on the countryside, and experimenting with the effects of light and color.  Bords de la Seine à la Roche-Guyon was executed on bank of the Seine near the famed Château de La Roche-Guyon near the Normandy region. The town itself was captured by Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne, though it is the tranquility of the landscape that fascinated Sisley, who focused on its natural elements and minimized the signs of human presence as evident in the present work.







This work will be included in the new edition of the Catalogue Raisonné of Alfred Sisley by François Daulte now being prepared by Galerie Brame & Lorenceau for the Comité Alfred Sisley.