Sisley

by Raymond Cogniat, Alfred Sisley (Painter)

Alfred Sisley (1839 – 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedication to painting landscape en plein air (i.e., outdoors). He deviated into figure painting only rarely and, unlike Renoir and Pissarro, found that Impressionism fulfilled his artistic needs. Among his important works are a series of paintings of the River Thames, mostly around Hampton Court, executed in 1874, and landscapes depicting places in or near Moret-sur-Loing. The notable paintings of the Seine and its bridges in the former suburbs of Paris are like many of his landscapes, characterized by tranquillity, in pale shades of green, pink, purple, dusty blue and cream. Over the years Sisley's power of expression and colour intensity increased. Sisley produced some 900 oil paintings, some 100 pastels and many other drawings. This book includes 54 paintings in color and 21 drawings in black and white.

98 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Raymond Cogniat (14 April 1896 – 20 February 1977) was a French art critic, journalist, historian of art and expert on theatre design.

Cogniat was head of the arts section, Le Figaro, Paris, 1957–1977 & author of Renoir and many other works on 20th-century artists of the school of Paris.

Reviews

[Joel Ackerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was mostly biographical in the beginning but ended with a terrific analysis of the art itself, concluding that Sisley is the quintessential impressionist, as he remained devoted to it, all his life. Sadly, he falls in the category of painter who only achieved success after death.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 3 out of 5]

"THE WEARISOME LAST YEARS"--lol (kinda reminds me of "I Am Nailed To The Hull"). :)