Key facts
Biography
He was born in Paris in 1839[8] to English parents. His father William ran a luxury goods import-export business. At eighteen, Sisley was sent to London to study commerce. He came back wanting to paint. He studied alongside Monet, Renoir, and Bazille at Gleyre's studio in the early 1860s.
He was the most landscape-committed of the Impressionists: he painted almost nothing else. No portraits, no cafe scenes, no modern life. His father's business collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War. Sisley had been financially comfortable until then; after 1870[8], he lived in poverty for the rest of his life. In 1876 he painted a series of six canvases of the catastrophic Seine flooding at Port-Marly: moody skies, planks laid as walkways, skiffs serving as ferries. They are among his finest works.
He died of throat cancer in 1899[8] at Moret-sur-Loing, aged fifty-nine. His partner Eugenie Lescouezec had died a few months earlier. Prices for his paintings increased almost immediately after his death.
Timeline
- 1839Born in Paris to prosperous British parents; raised in France but retained British citizenship throughout his life.
- 1862Aged 23, enrolled in the studio of Charles Gleyre in Paris, where he formed lasting friendships with Monet, Renoir, and Bazille; the four painted together in the Forest of Fontainebleau.
- 1870Aged 31, his father's silk business was ruined by the Franco-Prussian War; left suddenly without financial support, Sisley turned to painting as his sole means of income for the rest of his life.
- 1874Aged 35, participated in the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris alongside Monet, Degas, and Pissarro; he remained committed to Impressionism more consistently than almost any of his peers.
- 1876Aged 37, painted the Flood at Port-Marly series, capturing the Seine's inundation of a small town; among the finest achievements of Impressionist landscape painting.
- 1880Aged 41, settled permanently at Moret-sur-Loing on the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau, where the river, bridges, and surrounding fields provided the subjects for the remainder of his career.
- 1899Died at Moret-sur-Loing aged 59, weeks after applying unsuccessfully for French citizenship; despite a lifetime of work, he died in poverty, his reputation ascending only after his death.
Notable Works
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Where to See Alfred Sisley
28 museums worldwide.
- 6 works
Museum Barberini
Potsdam, Germany
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
Alfred sisley art movement?
Alfred Sisley painted in subtle tones of white and grey. He is associated with Impressionism[8].How did alfred sisley became famous?
Alfred Sisley had to sell his work to make a living after his family lost their money as a result of the Franco-Prussian War. He was an English Impressionist who was born in Paris to English parents.Was alfred sisley an impressionist?
Alfred Sisley realised the Impressionist dream of rendering bare branches of wind-battered trees. He worked in the open air his whole life and painted on smaller sized canvases.Was alfred sisley french?
Alfred Sisley was born in Paris to English parents. Although he applied for French citizenship twice, he was refused and died a British[8] citizen.What was alfred sisley known for?
Alfred Sisley was the most landscape-committed of the Impressionists. He painted almost nothing else, with no portraits, cafe scenes, or modern life paintings.When did alfred sisley die?
Alfred Sisley died in 1899[8] at the age of 60.Alfred sisley painting techniques?
Alfred Sisley applied paint thickly and distinctly, giving depth and heaviness to the snow. Subtle tones of white and grey form the colour-base of his almost monochromatic winter scene.Was alfred sisley married?
The biography makes no mention of Alfred Sisley being married. However, it does mention that his partner, Eugenie Lescouezec, died a few months before him.Where did alfred sisley live?
Alfred Sisley was born in Paris to English parents. He lived in France for almost his entire adult life.What did alfred sisley paint?
Alfred Sisley painted Port-Marly, White Frost, The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne, and Banks of the Loing River. He was the most landscape-committed of the Impressionists.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Alfred Sisley.
- [1] museum Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Brooklyn Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Toledo Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Museum Barberini Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Musée d'Art et d'Histoire Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] wikidata Wikidata: Q175130 Used for: identifiers.
- [8] wikipedia Wikipedia: Alfred Sisley Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
- [9] book Linda Bolton, Art revolutions _ Impressionism Used for: biography.
- [10] book Linda Bolton, Art revolutions _ Impressionism_1 Used for: biography.
- [11] book Linda Bolton, Art revolutions _ Impressionism_2 Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-31. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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