Sisley, Alfred (1839-1899)
Le Brochet (The Pike)
1888
Oil on canvas, 41.9 x 80.6 cm
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
In dabs of paint, Sisley captures the light sparkling on this magnificent pike and the bright sprig of herbs nearby. The rumpled linen, with its shades of white and blue, resembles the rippling surface of water. As an Impressionist painter, Sisley aimed to capture the fleeting effects of light. Together with his friends Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, he became an important member of the Impressionists. Best known for his landscapes, this is one of the rare still lifes that Sisley painted. (WA)