The Church at Moret at Dawn

subject painting by Alfred SisleyPainting of the Church at Moret by the English impressionist painter Alfred Sisley (1839-1899). While the title of this painting says it is a church, to this non-European, this looks more like a grand cathedral – notice how small the people look?

Moret or Moret sur Loing as it is more properly known was a farming community in France. Sisley lived the last 20 years of his life in Moret sur Loing and even applied for French citizenship. According to the city’s website, many of the landmarks that Sisley captured on canvas still survive; including this impressive church which is featured heavily on the site. Their site http://www.ville-moret-sur-loing.fr is unfortunately in French and I could not find information about the church itself. (If anyone knows the name of the church, please email and let me know so I can include it here for everyone.)

The painting is done in an impressionistic style and shows the grandeur of the church. A woman and child are walking past the huge edifice while another person stands closer to the massive doorway to the church. The sky above is a beautiful blue and the shadows make it look as if the sun is shining directly down upon the church. Far in the background we can see the rest of the town and perhaps some of their famous wheat fields.