Alfred Sisley, born to British parents, was raised in France. Based in Paris, he often sought to leave the bustling capital. By 1880 he settled not far from the forest of Fontainebleau. Instead of working in isolation like the Barbizon landscape painters before him, Sisley chose to position his easel across from a group of washerwomen on the riverbank of Champagne-sur-Seine. With his delicate brushwork and masterly sense of tone, he captured an unassuming and tranquil scene touched by modernity.
