Washerwomen, near Champagne

Alfred Sisley, born British, lived in France for most of his life. Although based in Paris, he often sought to leave the bustling capital. By 1880 he settled not far from the forest of Fontainebleau. Like Claude Monet, Sisley was enchanted with the effects of light and how it transforms the everyday world. Instead of working in romantic isolation like the Barbizon painters had done before him, Sisley chose to position his easel across from a group of washerwomen on the river bank of Champagne-sur-Seine. With his delicate brushwork and masterly sense of tone, Sisley has captured an unassuming and tranquil scene touched by modernity.