The artwork “The Watering Place at Marly Le Roi Hoarfrost” was created by Alfred Sisley in 1876. Sisley, known for his impressionist techniques, used oil on canvas to craft this cityscape piece. The painting measures 50 cm by 65.5 cm and forms part of the Impressionism art movement. It currently resides in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, United States.
In the painting, Sisley portrays a winter scene with a subdued color palette indicative of the coolness of hoarfrost. The composition features a series of houses lining a street or waterway with evidence of snow or frost on the ground. The structures have an ephemeral quality, rendered with light brushstrokes, which lends an air of transience and atmosphere that is typical of Impressionist paintings. There are indications of life, including figures moving within the scene, which adds a sense of scale and humanity to the work. The sky suggests a winter haze, with soft light diffusing evenly across the canvas, capturing the particular luminescence of frosty air.
