The Seine at Port-Marly, Piles of Sand

Held at the Art Institute of Chicago, this 1875 canvas shows the Seine at Port-Marly with piles of sand — an industrial subject combining river commerce with the atmospheric light effects Sisley prized. Sand barges and industrial activities were part of the working life of the Seine, and Sisley's inclusion of commercial piles of sand gives this atmospheric landscape a documentary specificity. Port-Marly was one of his most-visited subjects in the Seine valley, offering the combination of water, sky, and human industrial activity that characterized his best landscapes.

The sand piles provide warm ochre and buff tones that anchor the foreground, contrasting with the cooler grey-blue of the Seine beyond. Sisley handles the industrial subject with the same atmospheric sensitivity as his purely natural views. The sky above Port-Marly is treated with characteristic care, its clouds reflected in the river below.