Saint-Mammès, Banks of the Seine
Alfred SISLEY
(French, 1839-1899)
Saint-Mammès, Banks of the Seine
Date1885
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionsoverall: 21 3/8 x 28 3/4 in. (54.3 x 73 cm)
frame: 31 1/4 x 38 1/2 in. (79.4 x 97.8 cm)
ClassificationPAINTINGS
Credit LineSBMA, Bequest of Katharine Dexter McCormick in memory of her husband, Stanley McCormick
Object number1968.20.6
Subject(s)
- river
- townscapes (built environment)
- landscape
Collection
- 19th century French
Sub-Collection(s)
- Impressionism
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextBritish by birth, Alfred Sisley is among the most consistent of the French Impressionists in terms of technique and subject matter. In this shimmering view of a town on the Seine in full sunlight, Sisley
uses the short brushstrokes of oil paint characteristic of Impressionist painting to build up a representation of a real place, which is situated around 40 miles south of Paris. Representing everyday life rather than myths, gods, or royalty, Sisley focused on landscapes such as this one, which became newly accessible by train travel and were an escape from the congestion and pressures of rapidly-developing Paris.