The Road from Versailles to Saint-Germain, Alfred Sisley
A bend in the road with tiny, rapidly drawn figures appears amid the lush, green trees on the left. To the right, the landscape opens out with a view of a vineyard on a distant hill. Rather than simply representing the specifics of a location, Alfred Sisley painted the glorious golden light of a summer's day, flickering in the trees and the long grasses. He painted this plein-air landscape study somewhere near the road on the way from Versailles to Saint-Germain. The painting's broken strokes of brilliant color and the impressionistic brushstrokes that serve as figures would have defined it as a rough sketch, but Sisley judged it complete and presented it as a beautiful finished work.
                                
Discover more Old Masters in the following collections:
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The mill at Wijk bij Duurstede, Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael Queen Elizabeth of Bourbon
Queen Elizabeth of Bourbon Flower arrangement, Jan Davidsz. de Heem
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A Amsterdam street scene - Adrianus Eversen The goldfinch, Carel Fabritius
The goldfinch, Carel Fabritius Vincent van Gogh. Flower beds in Holland
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Jacob Maris - Fishing boat The School of Athens, Raphael
The School of Athens, Raphael Almond blossom painting by Vincent van Gogh
Almond blossom painting by Vincent van Gogh The Mirror, Robert Reid
The Mirror, Robert Reid Portrait of a woman, anonymous - 1633
Portrait of a woman, anonymous - 1633 The Milkmaid - Vermeer painting
The Milkmaid - Vermeer painting Agapanthus, Claude Monet
Agapanthus, Claude Monet Vincent van Gogh. Olive orchard
Vincent van Gogh. Olive orchard Cypresses
Cypresses The Artist’s Garden in Giverny, Claude Monet
The Artist’s Garden in Giverny, Claude Monet The great wave of Kanagawa, Hokusai
The great wave of Kanagawa, Hokusai Italian landscape with pine trees, Hendrik Voogd
Italian landscape with pine trees, Hendrik Voogd Bouquet of flowers on white background (seen at VT Wonen)
Bouquet of flowers on white background (seen at VT Wonen)