Artwork
Flood at Port-Marly
Flood at Port-Marly is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Alfred Sisley. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: Sisley.72
About this work
History & Provenance
On 21 June 1961, it was offered at the de Curel sale at the Palais Galliéra in Paris (lot D) and purchased by the Paris dealer Hector Brame on behalf of Mr.
Alfred Sisley created the oil-on-canvas landscape Flood at Port-Marly in 1872. The work's earliest recorded owner was Marie-Albert, vicomte de Curel (1827–1908), of Paris, who retained it until his death. It subsequently passed by descent within the Curel family to Mlle de Curel, who lent the painting to the 1932 Royal Academy exhibition in London.
The piece was not included in the vicomte's 1918 estate sale. On 21 June 1961, it was offered at the de Curel sale at the Palais Galliéra in Paris (lot D) and purchased by the Paris dealer Hector Brame on behalf of Mr. Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. Paul Mellon held the work until 1985, when he gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Flood at Port-Marly is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having entered the institution as a gift from Paul Mellon in 1985. Prior to this acquisition, the painting remained within the family of its original owner, Vicomte Marie-Albert de Curel, eventually passing to his daughter, Mlle de Curel. It was sold at the Palais Galliéra in Paris on June 21, 1961, where it was purchased by dealer Hector Brame on behalf of Mellon.
The work's exhibition history includes a loan by Mlle de Curel to the Royal Academy exhibition in London in 1932. Notably, the painting was excluded from the earlier 1918 estate sale of the Curel family held at the Galerie Georges Petit.
Overview
Alfred Sisley's "Flood at Port-Marly," an oil on canvas, depicts a tranquil yet striking scene of a flooded landscape. A flatboat rests on the brown, still water, positioned near a stark, bare tree. In the background, a house appears slightly askew under a heavy, gray sky.
Despite the implied natural disaster, the painting conveys a sense of quiet observation rather than alarm, focusing on the atmospheric effects of the high water.
Subject & Meaning
This painting captures the aftermath of a significant rise in the river at Port-Marly. Sisley rendered the floodwaters with a distinctive tea-like brown hue, emphasizing their stillness and depth. Rather than portraying chaos or destruction, the artist chose to highlight the unusual calm that settled over the transformed landscape.
The quietude of the scene suggests a moment of suspended reality, where the familiar environment is temporarily altered but not necessarily threatening.
Technique & Style
Sisley's approach to "Flood at Port-Marly" demonstrates his meticulous observation of light and water. He reportedly returned to the same vantage point over several days to accurately capture the subtle atmospheric conditions. The painting is notable for its detailed rendering of reflections on the water's surface, where the bare branches of the tree appear to extend into the liquid expanse. This attention to reflective qualities contributes to the painting's serene and immersive quality.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Sisley (; French:; 30 October 1839–29 January 1899) was a French-Born British Impressionist landscape painter who was born to British parents, but spent most of his life in France.
