The Road from Moret to Saint-Mammès

A pencil drawing after this picture appears near the beginning of a sketchbook that Sisley kept as a record of his work from November 1883 to the summer of 1885 (Musée du Louvre, Paris). The drawing bears an inscription that identifies the site as the road from Moret to Sainte-Mammès, which runs along the Loing River; the water is just visible at lower left. Sisley established himself in this area, on the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau, in 1880, and was captivated by its "quite picturesque views." He settled permanently in Moret in 1889.