Ferry to the Ile de la Loge, Flood 1872

Editor: So this is Alfred Sisley's *Ferry to the Ile de la Loge, Flood*, painted in 1872 using oil paint. It's fascinating how the buildings seem to be rising out of the water! What's your take on the cultural significance of a flooded landscape being presented in this way? Curator: It's crucial to understand Impressionism’s relationship with the rapidly changing urban landscape. Sisley painted this during a time of significant infrastructural development and increased awareness of natural disasters due to urban sprawl. What does a flood, something destructive, *mean* when representing modern life? Is he capturing the impact on everyday people or drawing our attention to humanity’s effect on nature? Editor: That's a really interesting point. I guess I hadn’t considered the urban context and just saw the beauty of the light on the water. Curator: Exactly! Sisley, alongside other Impressionists, often found beauty in everyday scenes. He draws the viewer’s eye not to any grand subject matter, but towards the interplay of light, water, and reflections. It becomes less about the *event* of a flood, and more about Sisley making the water, or even the scene, appear “painterly.” Considering that, do you think that downplays the suffering of those affected by it? Editor: Perhaps a little. It feels… sanitized. Made beautiful for art’s sake. I see how it speaks to how art was evolving and how urban life was shifting focus. Curator: Yes, it definitely forces us to consider the role of the artist – is it to document reality or to transform it? What new ideas do you have about plein-air painting when observing works such as this? Editor: I now think about plein-air painting less as documenting the place but more documenting one's reaction to a place in a moment in time. Thanks!