Road from Saint Germain to Marly 1875

Alfred Sisley painted "Road from Saint Germain to Marly" in oil on canvas, capturing a winter scene just west of Paris. Sisley and his fellow Impressionists broke from the academic salons, choosing instead to portray everyday life and landscapes en plein air. Here, the artist depicts a snow-covered road lined with trees, imbuing the scene with a sense of quiet, undisturbed beauty. Note the horse and cart making its way along the road: these details are records of modern life. The painting prompts us to consider the changing social and economic landscape of France in the late 19th century. The rise of industrialization and urbanization transformed the country. Artists like Sisley captured these changes, not through grand historical narratives, but through intimate, personal observations of the world around them. To better understand Sisley's place in this period, explore exhibition catalogues, art journals, and the writings of critics who grappled with the changing landscape of art and society. Art is always contingent on social and institutional context.