"Snow at Louveciennes," Alfredy Sisley, 1878.

Sisley (1839-99) was British, but was born in, and spent most of his life in, France.

He did mostly landscapes, and was a champion of plein air (outdoors) painting. He only rarely did figures or portraits, and never moved on from Impressionism as some others of the school did. He was a friend of Monet and Renoir, and often worked with and exhibited with them.

His landscapes, of both French and British scenes, are noted for their quiet, tranquil quality, as one can see here. Some feel his best work is when he painted snow scenes; rather than just make it white, he sought to make his snow scenes iridescent with dabs of color, and to realistically depict the effects of light and shadow on snow.

His work was popular with collectors in Europe, and as a result frequently stolen and forged. Several dozen Sisleys were seized by the Third Reich from their owners and are still missing.

From the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

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