Jacques Dubourg, Paris
Walter Feilchenfeldt, Zurich (acquired from the above in 1957)
William A. Cargill, Bridge of Weir, Scotland (acquired from the above in 1959. Sold: Sotheby & Co, London, 11th June 1963, lot 45)
Leggatt (purchased at the above sale)
A.S.R. Williamson, Greenwich, Connecticut (sold: Christie's, London, 15th April 1975, lot 15)
Acquavella Galleries, Inc., New York
Elinor Dorrance Ingersoll, Newport (sold: Christie's, New York, 18th October 1977, lot 7)
Sale: Christie's, New York, 14th November 1990, lot 3
Sale: Christie's, New York, 8th May 2000, lot 9
Purchased at the above sale by the father of the present owner

Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, 1954
Bern, Kunstmuseum, Alfred Sisley, 1958, no. 15, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, Wildenstein & Co., Inc., Sisley, 1966, no. 11, illustrated in the catalogue

François Daulte, Alfred Sisley, catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint, Lausanne, 1959, no. 73, illustrated
Leopold Reidemeister, Aus den Spuren der Maler der Ile-de-France, Berlin, 1963, illustrated p. 87
François Daulte, Sisley - les saisons, Paris, 1992, no. 13, illustrated p. 27
Vivienne Couldrey, Alfred Sisley. The English Impressionist, Exeter, 1992, illustrated in colour p. 54

The canvas is lined. Apart from a very small spot of retouching in the water, just above the lower framing edge, three tiny spots of retouching in the sky, beneath the upper framing edge and one tiny spot in the tree by the right framing edge, visible under ultra-violet light, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although stronger and richer in the original.
"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."

After the Prussian siege of Paris in 1871, Sisley decided to move with his family to the village of Louveciennes, situated on the river Seine, about thirty kilometres west of the capital, and in the winter of 1874 they moved to the neighbouring Marly-le-Roy. During his time there, Sisley painted a number of scenes of the village and its winding streets. This new setting provided the artist with a new creative impetus and, once settled, he started working with fresh energy. He ex🍒plored the beauty of the Seine valley, and took delight in painting this new environment, trying to capture the effects of season, weathe🍃r and time of day on the countryside, and experimenting with the effects of light and colour. Here he focused on the river, with its tree-lined banks and the sky reflected on its surface, the houses of Bougival barely visible through the trees on the right.

 

Writing about Sisley's paintings executed in this region, Vivienne Couldrey observed: 'In the area of Louveciennes along the valley of the Seine he found waiting for him the kind of landscape he was to love all his life. Westward from Paris the Seine winds in large loops through Suresnes, Villeneuve-la-Garenne, Argenteuil, Bougival, Sèvres, Ville d'Avray, Louveciennes, Noisy-le-Roi, Port-Marly; the villages are strung along the river, clustered around Versailles' (V. Couldrey, op. cit., p. 33). This was a period of relative prosperity for the artist, marked by his enthusiasm for painting en plein air. La Seine à Bougival reflects 🀅the tranquillity of the landscape that fascinated Sisley, who focused on its natural elements, minimising the signs of human presence.