Sisley in England and Wales
National Museum of Cardiff
Cardiff, Wales
7 March – 14 June 2009

by Rea Cris

Visiting Wales for the first time I was delighted by how clean and green it was; the pride the Welsh feel for their country is evident beyond the bilingual signs. It is therefore no surprise that the Welsh countryside should be a choice subject for Impressionist artist Alfred Sisley.  Born in Paris to English parents, Sisley made two painting trips to the United Kingdom; the first in 1874 to London and the surrounding areas and then again in 1897 to Wales.   Though small, this exhibit is a good, condensed mix of historical references and artistry. There is some biographical information about Sisley as well as archival photographs of the scenes he painted and the gallery walls are also a lovely blue to match.

Sisley is a master of capturing the atmosphere of a place, of conveying the intangible feelings a place creates within us.  Also included is a view of Mary-le-Roi park, which is where Sisley lived in France. In the wintry gloom of the painting, it is not misery that is conveyed but nostalgia for those wintry nights and warm fireplaces.  The difference between Sisley’s two trips is very evident in his paintings of British landscapes. The paintings of London are darker, stiff and dull.  They run the risk of losing their artistic merit and simply serving the purpose of historical reference, such as ‘View from Charring Cross Bridge’, which shows scenes of how life was lived back in the 19th century.

By comparison the paintings of the Welsh coast and countryside have no historical clues to place them within a context; instead they are dreamlike.   Painted near the end of Sisley’s life, they are more mature and self-assured. The brushstrokes are more relaxed and fluid, the colours creamy, the atmosphere lighter.  The manner in which Sisley paints the Welsh coast makes it good enough to eat. He presents each canvas like a dish. In ‘Cliff at Penarth’ the water is milky, the flora hanging from the cliffs like crispy salad. Sisley paintings of the Storr Rock also known as the Donkey Rock at Lady’s Cove Min Nos are well known. Sisley makes the rock makes look like a living fleshy creature, lying in wait, breathing.   When looking at these paintings you miss the sound of the waves lapping at the beach that must accompany them. 

www.museumwales.ac.uk