The Franco-Prussian War which began in 1870 caused Sisley's father's business to fail. The painter's only income was from the sale of his works. He lived in poverty for the rest of his life, as the value of his paintings only rose in value after his death. Occasionally, however, Sisley would be helped by his patrons, which allowed him, among other things, to make a few short trips to England. The first trip was in 1874 after the first independent Impressionist exhibition. The result of the trip was a series of nearly 20 paintings of the Upper Thames near Molesey. Art historian Kenneth Clark said this was "a perfect moment of Impressionism."