B. Paris, 1840 - d. Moret-sur-Loing, 1899

The Seine at Marly, 1873, oil on canvasAlfred Sisley, a French landscape master, came from an English family who resided in Paris. He studied under Charles Gleyre at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he became friendly with Jean-Frederic Bazille, Claude Monet, and August Renoir. All four artists left the school in 1863 and worked together at Chailly in the forest of Fontainebleau. In 1866, Sisley exhibited at the Salon for the first time, but his work was refused the following year.

He pursued his career despite the indifference of most dealers and the public. Sisley was influenced by Courbet and Corot, but it was through Monet that he adopted the Impressionist style. Except for brief visits to London and Norway, he never left Paris and its environs. Sisley confined himself mostly to landscapes.