Willows in a field afternoon 

Alfred Sisley, who was born in Paris but retained British citizenship, painted this landscape in an impressionistic style. Sisley, along with Monet and Pissarro, had an interest in depicting the transient effects of light and atmosphere. Sisley’s position as an outsider, neither fully French nor English, perhaps attuned him to the subtle shifts in the social landscape. The late 19th century was a time of great change. With the rise of industrialization, the experience of landscape shifted, becoming a space of both leisure and labor. How might we understand the lone figure sitting in the field? As a shepherd tending to grazing animals, or a figure simply enjoying the beauty of nature? Sisley seems less concerned with social commentary and more focused on the sensory experience of the landscape. Through his eyes we are invited to contemplate the simple beauty of an afternoon among the willows, a scene that evokes feelings of peace and quiet contemplation.