Moret-sur-Loing (D. 728)
Alfred Sisley·1890
Historical Context
Moret-sur-Loing (D. 728) from 1890 is one of dozens of views Sisley made of the medieval town on the Loing river where he settled in 1882 and lived until his death in 1899. The town's medieval gate, church of Saint-Martin, and river bridge appeared in Sisley's work with the same regularity as Monet's haystacks or Rouen Cathedral — a motif returned to under every light condition and season. Sisley's Loing landscapes were his most sustained achievement, the basis of his posthumous reputation though during his lifetime they brought little commercial success.
Technical Analysis
The town's stone buildings and medieval gate are rendered in warm ochres and grays set against a pale sky, the solid architectural mass contrasting with the more fluid treatment of surrounding river and vegetation. Sisley's brushwork is direct and confident — strokes of appropriate length and direction for each element of the composition.
