The Road in the Woods
1879
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 46.3 x 55.8 cm (18 1/4 x 21 15/16 in.) framed: 67.6 x 76.2 cm (26 5/8 x 30 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Chester Dale Collection
Accession Number
1963.10.215
Art Historical Context
Alfred Sisley’s *The Road in the Woods* (1879) invites visitors into the tranquil heart of the French countryside, a hallmark of the Impressionist movement. As one of the most dedicated landscape painters among his peers—alongside Monet and Renoir—Sisley in capturing the subtle play of light and atmosphere en plein air. Created during the height of Impressionism, this oil on canvas (46.3 x 55.8 cm) reflects the era’s revolutionary shift from studio-bound realism to spontaneous, outdoor observation, emphasizing fleeting natural effects over meticulous detail. The painting’s winding path throug...
About the Artist
Alfred Sisley · 1839–1899
Alfred Sisley (1839–1899) was a British-born French Impressionist landscape painter who remained the most consistently devoted to pure Impressionist principles throughout his career. Born in Paris to prosperous English parents, he studied at the atelier of Charles Gleyre alongside Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Frédéric Bazille, forming friendships that placed him at the heart of the eme...