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Flood at Port Marly

Alfred Sisley • Painting, 1872, 46.4×61 cm
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About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Landscape
Style of art: Impressionism
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1872
Size: 46.4×61 cm
Artwork in selections: 42 selections

Description of the artwork «Flood at Port Marly»

Flooding in the village of port-Marly 1876 was an event of tragic and extraordinary. The artist lived nearby and came to write a submerged village, where he already watched the swollen Seine four years earlier. But saw not grief and despair. Flood at port-Marly Sisley painted 6 paintings and everywhere is absolute harmony, quiet and shimmering water that reflected the sky, very earthy and very robust buildings, which gently illuminates the sun, already accustomed to and already engaged in the daily Affairs of the local people (1, 2) . They only swim for shopping on boats, and discussing the news, standing at the water's edge. So almost nothing happened.

The sense of harmony that invariably cause paintings Sisley, has nothing to do with the plot and the appearance mood of the depicted landscape. Harmony is the inner state of the artist. Flood, snow-covered sidewalks, the village Church, pumping stations, aqueducts old and new bridges – Sisley immediately decided on those places he will be fine. Found them one day years 25 to 60 is nothing for him has changed. Paris bars, bustling boulevards, respectable restaurants and a dubious cabaret, even in early youth Alfred. He's too shy, pensive and timid, to feel confident and happy.

The critic Armand Silvestre as early as 1873 (the year before the first impressionist exhibition!) wrote the introduction to the catalogue Paul Durand-Ruel: "At first glance it is difficult to determine what distinguishes a picture of Mr. Monet's paintings from Sisley and manner of the latter, from the manner of Pissarro. A little research will soon show you that Mr. Monet's most skilled and the most courageous, Mr. Sisley the most harmonious and the most indecisive, Mr. Pissarro the true and the naive..."

A bold critic, who often participated in the meetings of young artists in the cafe Herba", managed to pick the exact word-formula to each of the artists about whom he wrote. These formulas will work with amazing accuracy throughout the life of each. And Sisley will invariably harmonious and indecisive.

Author: Anna Sidelnikova
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