The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne
1872
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
19 1/2 x 25 3/4 in. (49.5 x 65.4 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ittleson Jr., 1964
Accession Number
64.287
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Alfred Sisley’s *The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne (1872) captures a serene riverside scene just outside Paris, where a newly constructed iron bridge spans the Seine amid modest buildings and passing boats. As a leading Impressionist, Sisley specialized in landscapes that celebrated the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere rather than dramatic narratives. Working outdoors with loose, vibrant brushstrokes, he transforms an ordinary suburban view into a study of shimmering reflections on water and the soft play of sunlight across stone and foliage. Painted during the early years of the Im...
About the Artist
Alfred Sisley · 1839–1899
Alfred Sisley (1839–1899) was a British-born French Impressionist landscape painter who remained the most consistently devoted to pure Impressionist principles throughout his career. Born in Paris to prosperous English parents, he studied at the atelier of Charles Gleyre alongside Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Frédéric Bazille, forming friendships that placed him at the heart of the eme...