Near the Bank of the Seine at By 1882

Alfred Sisley captured this scene near the Bank of the Seine at By with oil on canvas. The composition presents a serene landscape, but it’s the presence of the trees that commands our attention. Trees, universal symbols of life and growth, root us in the earth while their branches reach for the heavens. We see them in countless artistic and cultural contexts, such as the Tree of Life, found in ancient mythologies from around the world. In the Garden of Eden, the tree represents knowledge and the divine. Its presence can also evoke deep, subconscious connections, reminding us of the forests of our ancestral past. Sisley’s rendering, with its dappled light and shadow, invites us to contemplate the ever-changing, cyclical nature of existence, and the emotional interplay between humans and the natural world. This work is a powerful statement on nature's enduring presence, a reminder of its regenerative power.