Bristol Channel, Evening

Bristol Channel was painted during Sisley's third visit to England. At the time, he settled briefly at Penarth, near Cardiff, Wales. There he painted several views of the country side and seacoast. Sisley considered a flexible application of paint to be essential in creating an Impressionist picture. In this example, he has employed a variety of painterly gestures. For the grass on the cliff tops, the strokes are short and fairly even, while the beach below displays elongated brushwork. The water and open sea are painted looser yet, with long sweeping strokes for the approaching waves. In a letter to Adolphe Tavernier, an artist friend, Sisley wrote, "I am in favor of a variation of surface within the same picture...particularly when it is a question of rendering a light effect."