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Lot Essay
There are a few rare locations of such outstanding natural beauty that they capture the imagination of a generation of artists. The forest of Fontainebleau, depicted with enigmatic beauty in the present lot, is one such spot. This wild land, with its verdant woods, magnificent old-growth trees, imposing rock formations, and stark plateaus became an obligatory destination for any serious landscape artist in the 19th Century. The Impressionists, with Sisley among them, became dedicated visitors. The region’s constantly changing light and variety of landscape offered the ideal space for the artists to put into practise their aim of capturing transient moments of nature. In later years, when Monet and Renoir spent more time in their studios, Sisley remained dedicated to painting en plein air and would until his death, when he was buried in the forest itself.
During the years Sisley spent painting the forest, he went through distinct stylistic changes. The present lot represents an apogee of his Impressionistic work. A lighter palette and open brushwork, with individual leaves sketched in loose daubs painted directly on canvas are all hallmarks of the movement. The artist’s intimate relationship with, and keen understanding of the space is inescapable throughout the present lot. With a lightness of touch and dappled brushstrokes he captures the light that falls through the trees and illuminates the grassy borders below. This focus on light necessitates an appreciation of the sky as its source. As his career progressed Sisley increasingly became a painter of the sky. In this work, clouds dominate, grey stretching from the horizon until a subtle break allows a glimpse of the sky beyond and lets light leak through to illuminate the scene.
The composition of the piece challenges conventions and is another clear sign of Sisley’s newly developed Impressionist style. The traditional path that leads the viewer's eye through the scene is abruptly cut short by the presence of the tall figure of a guardsman. Sisley often explored the interplay between the natural world of Fontainebleau and humanities encroachment upon it. Positioned at the very centre of the scene in a striking blue uniform, this militaristic figure is unmissable and provides a stark contrast with the environment around him.
“Every picture shows a spot with which the artist has fallen in love.” Sisley once wrote, expressing a sentiment that seems apt for all the artist’s work around Fontainebleau. It is not surprising that his dedication to capturing this forest and its every vicissitude, borne out in the present lot, led Gustave Geffroy to say that in Fontainebleau, Sisley ‘had found his country’.
During the years Sisley spent painting the forest, he went through distinct stylistic changes. The present lot represents an apogee of his Impressionistic work. A lighter palette and open brushwork, with individual leaves sketched in loose daubs painted directly on canvas are all hallmarks of the movement. The artist’s intimate relationship with, and keen understanding of the space is inescapable throughout the present lot. With a lightness of touch and dappled brushstrokes he captures the light that falls through the trees and illuminates the grassy borders below. This focus on light necessitates an appreciation of the sky as its source. As his career progressed Sisley increasingly became a painter of the sky. In this work, clouds dominate, grey stretching from the horizon until a subtle break allows a glimpse of the sky beyond and lets light leak through to illuminate the scene.
The composition of the piece challenges conventions and is another clear sign of Sisley’s newly developed Impressionist style. The traditional path that leads the viewer's eye through the scene is abruptly cut short by the presence of the tall figure of a guardsman. Sisley often explored the interplay between the natural world of Fontainebleau and humanities encroachment upon it. Positioned at the very centre of the scene in a striking blue uniform, this militaristic figure is unmissable and provides a stark contrast with the environment around him.
“Every picture shows a spot with which the artist has fallen in love.” Sisley once wrote, expressing a sentiment that seems apt for all the artist’s work around Fontainebleau. It is not surprising that his dedication to capturing this forest and its every vicissitude, borne out in the present lot, led Gustave Geffroy to say that in Fontainebleau, Sisley ‘had found his country’.