Maximilien Luce

Harry Graf Kessler, Weimar
Private Collection, Switzerland
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1998 and sold: Christie's, London, June 19, 2007, lot 312)
Acquired at the above sale

Weimar, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis, Luce, 1903
Weimar, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis, Luce, 1905

Denise Bazetoux, Maximilien Luce, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. III, Paris, 2005, no. 58, illustrated p. 65

This work is in very good condition. The canvas has not been lined. The colors are rich and vibrant. The surface is nicely textured and the impasto is well preserved. A small pindot of loss visible at the extreme upper left corner. Under UV light certain original pigments fluoresce, however no inpainting is apparent.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Paris, Rue animée le soir is emblematic of Luce’s unique interpretation of the Neo-Impressionist style. The term "Neo-Impressionism" was coined in 1886 at the final Impressionist group exhibition by the critic Félix Fénéon when referring to the paintings of Paul Signac, Georges Seurat and Camille and Lucien Pissarro. In 1887, Luce made his debut with these artists at the Société des Artistes, exhibiting seven pictures that bore the style which Fénéon had found so remarkable the previous year.

Luce and his contemporaries reinterpreted their forebears’ avant-garde style by using a more scientific approach to depict the visual splendor of the modern world. They relied upon harmonious resonance of color and a precise, divisionist application of paint known as Pointillism. When Luce painted this scene of Paris in 1896, the Pointillist technique defined some of the most desirable paintings of the turn-of-century, and it would ultimately have a profound impact on the Fauvists a decade later.

Although Luce embraced the demanding exactitude of the Neo-Impressionistic technique, his application of the style was never as rigid as his colleagues and reflected his maverick personality. As noted by his biographer Jules Christophe, “He applies Seurat’s system with instinctive freedom rather than rigour” (quoted in Marina Ferretti Bocquillon, “Maximilien Luce, Neo-Impressionist: A ‘Barbaric but Solid and Daring Painter’ in Maximilien Luce: Neo-Impressinoist Retrospective, (exhibition catalogue), Musée d’Orsay, Paris, 2010, p. 14). “Maximilien Luce never bothered much about theory. The principles of the contrast of colours were subordinated to his strong personality and impressions” (Charles Saunier, ibid.).  

Here, Luce’s stunning and free application of yellow and green demonstrates his fascination with the novel effects of urban street lighting. The ground shimmers with the reflection of the street lamps and illuminated storefronts, and the resplendently emerald sky is echoed and complimented by small, targeted spots of green pigment throughout the surface of the canvas.