Spring on the Loing River 1885

Alfred Sisley’s “Spring on the Loing River” is made with oil paint, a substance derived from ground pigment bound with linseed or poppy oil. The nature of oil paint invites a certain kind of mark-making. Sisley layers the paint in individual brushstrokes, wet-on-wet, which creates the dappled effect we see throughout the image. This direct method is called alla prima, requiring a fast and intuitive approach, and a keen understanding of how the colors will mix on the canvas. The materiality of oil paint lends itself to this way of working, allowing the artist to capture the fleeting qualities of light and atmosphere. This technique was not just a stylistic choice, but reflected the changing social landscape of the time. As industrialization accelerated, artists like Sisley sought to capture the immediate experience of the natural world, celebrating the beauty of the present moment, a direct contrast to the mass-produced objects of the machine age. Sisley reminds us of the value of direct experience, and the vital link between maker, material, and place.