As one of the only non-native French painters within the artistic circles of Parisian Modernism in the late 1800s, Walter Sickert held a unique position. First a pupil of James McNeill Whistler in London, he moved to Paris in 1883, where he became close to Edgar Degas. Degas had a great impact on him socially and artistically, introducing him to his Impressionist circle and inspiring him to capture the nuances of daily life. Sickert became a bridge between French Impressionism and British art, organising the first London Impressionist exhibition in 1889.

During his childhood, Sickert spent a great deal of time in the Northern French city of Dieppe, and continued to return to the resort over the following four decades, even settling permanently there from 1898 until 1905. The city offered a variety of subjects from the harbour and fishing quarters, to the winding streets and vast rural landscapes, as well as its inhabitants. The city became crucial during a period of artistic experimentation and growth for Sickert.

‘The Street of the Wind, Dieppe’ is part of a series Dieppe street scenes. The painting’s muted colour palette and contemplative atmosphere is synonymous with Sickert’s artistic language during this period when he was close to the Nabis artists Edouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard. The transient nature of the subject is combined with Sickert’s intimate portrayal of a family walking together and a lady adjusting her hat. It is a scene of everyday life.

Sickert’s depictions of the streets of Dieppe are now in many major international collections including Tate, London (‘Café des Tribunaux, Dieppe’, c.1890), National Galleries of Scotland (‘La Rue Pecquet, Dieppe’, c.1908-1909) and Musée d’Orsay (‘Dieppe’, c.1900).