Ödön Faragó, Budapest (sale: Ernst Museum, Budapest, 1935, lot 227)
Mr & Mrs Ferenc Chorin, Budapest (purchased at the above sale; lost possession 1943-1945)
Edmund W. Mudge, Dallas
Sale: Christie's, New York, 15th November 1988, lot 3
Sale: Christie's, New York, 5th November 2003, lot 202 (sold pursuant to an agreement with the heirs of Mr & Mrs Ferenc Chorin)
Salis & Vertes, Salzburg
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2004

Budapest, Muscarnok (Hall of Exhibitions), First Exhibition of Art Works Taken into Public Ownership, 1919, room VI, no. 27
Budapest, The Countess Eva Almásy-Teleki Institute of Art, Exhibition of French Art Works in Private Hands, 1940, no. 210
Tokyo, Galerie Art Point, Impressionists, 1989, no. 170

László Mravik, The "Sacco di Budapest" and Depredation of Hungary 1938-1949, Budapest, 1998, no. 4204, 🎀illustrated  p. 169

 

The canvas is not lined. There are intermittent specks of retouching running along all four edges, some fine lines of retouching to the vertical stretcher marks and some further tiny specks of retouching, mainly to the sky, all visible under UV light. This work is in good condition. Colours: Overall less pink in the sky and more variation in the blues and greens in the original than in the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

La Meule de Paille is a stunning example of Sisley's radiant landscapes. Passionate about the role of light in painting and its changing affect on the landscape, Sisley here examines the interplay of sky, horizon and earth using revolutionary colours and techniques key to the Impressionist painter. The changing light, illuminating the red and blue tones of the grass and surrounding fauna, is masterfully elevated with lively impasto. The haystack itself is a violet hue, silhouetted by the light and vital to the composition to give weight to the whole. Dappled with luminous blues, purples and pinks, the sky stretches over the composition creating a sense of space and with it depth. Sisley attached great importance to the role of the sky within landscape painting and wrote to his friend, the art critic Adolphe Tavernier: 'The sky is not simply a background; its planes give depth (for the sky has planes, as well as solid ground), and the shapes of clouds give movement to a picture. What is more beautiful indeed than the summer sky, with its wispy clouds idly floating across the blue? What movement and grace! Don't you agree? They are like waves on the sea; one is uplifted and carried away' (quoted in Vivienne Couldrey, Alfred Sisley The English Impressionist, Exeter, 1992, p. 71).

Sisley's love of landscape is in keeping with the other Impressionists although perhaps not to the extent of sidelining every other genre. As seen in the present work, 'figures are only an element' in his composition, designed as reference points to give 'perspective and proportion' (V. Couldrey, Op. Cit., p. 41).

Unlike his compatriot Monet, who exhibited fifteen Meules in 1891, Sisley did not paint a series of haystacks in changing weather. He did, however, return to the theme periodically throughout his career. In 1891 he painted two pictures of haystacks, both now in museums including the National Gallery of Australia (fig. 1). In 1895, he painted four other compositions involving haystacks. The present work is a particularly fascinating insight into Sisley's lifelong passion for capturing thꦿe beauty of everyday landscape.

FIG. 1, Alfred Sisley, Les Meules de Paille a Moret – Effet du Matin, 1891, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Victoria, Aust𝐆ralia