Banks of the Loing near Saint-Mammès (Bords du Loing, pres Saint-Mammès) 1896

Alfred Sisley made this print, *Banks of the Loing near Saint-Mammès*, using lithography, a printmaking process that relies on the tension between oily and water-based substances. The artist likely drew directly onto a prepared lithographic stone with a greasy crayon, allowing for the capture of fluid lines and tonal variations, as we see in the rippling water and overcast sky. Lithography gained popularity in the 19th century, facilitating the mass production of images for commercial and artistic purposes. This print hints at the intersection of art and industry, using a process capable of producing multiples, while retaining the hand-drawn quality of the artist's mark. The figures along the riverbank, and the boats in the water, remind us that even a seemingly simple landscape has labor and leisure interwoven into it. Sisley's choice of lithography underscores this connection, blurring the lines between fine art and the means of its reproduction.