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Maximilien Luce
(1858-1941)
Maximilien Luce
lived in Paris most of his life, and was born and died
there. Schooled in the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs, he
served a term in the military and afterwards started his
career as a newspaper engraver. During his time in the
service, he met with many other influential artists,
such as Camille Pissaro and Charles Emile Carolus-Duran
who introduced him to their world of art.
Through his friendship with Pissaro, Luce adopted the
ideas of the Divisionists and painted mostly in
Pointillism in the beginning. He adhered to the style of
Pointillism for quite some time, composing strictly in
this manner.
Living in Paris and Montmartre all of his life,
naturally Luce's work took on themes of Parisian life.
He mostly painted social scenes, landscapes and
portraits, as well as monuments and landmarks such as
“Notre-Dame” (1901).
Notre Dame
Though he painted
portraits typical to the Pointillist/Impressionist
period—shorelines, still life, flowers in vases, the
French countryside—Luce also incorporated a social
message into some of his work. He was involved with
Anarchists and supported some of their ideas, and even
became briefly imprisoned at one time.
One such social message can be seen in “Etude d’Homme,
Pêcheur” which depicts the backside of a fisherman at
work. This scene glorifies the working class and was
perhaps Luce's way of drawing attention to that aspect
of society.
Etude d’Homme, Pêcheur
Luce was an avid
painter of the working class, and often depicted
factories, city scenes and construction zones as well as
scenes of war and wounded soldiers. Luce was unique in
his paintings of factories with smoke billowing into the
sky. They were far different from the idealistic
paintings of other Impressionists of the day, and create
an ominous feeling.
Darker still is his painting “La Commune” (1903-1905)
which depicts bodies lying next to rubble in the street.
La Commune
Luce traveled
selectively in his artistic endeavors. London, Brittany
and Normandy were some of the few places he ventured to
outside of Paris, and during his travels he continued to
paint scenes of Social Realism. He served in the army
for four years, allowing him some travel, but perhaps
his stay in the army is what gave him inspiration for
his socially aware paintings. In 1934, Luce was elected
the President of the Société des Artistes Indépendents
after the retirement of Paul Signac. However, he
resigned soon after learning that the society had a
policy of not allowing Jewish artists to participate.
Lithos were also a specialty of Luce's. He was initially
trained in wood carving at the Ecole des Arts decoratifs,
and before his military service worked as an engraver.
He would also sketch in charcoal on paper, and was a
master draftsman. Some of Luce's most famous factory
scenes were lithographs such as this one entitled “Les
Usines” (1898). His use of light is typical of
Pointillism methods, but he still shows a great talent
for the use of light by making the foreground dark and
the background illuminated.
Les Usines
Some of Luce's lithographs are indeed his
finest work. Note in this crayon lithograph portrait of
his friend “Camille Pissaro” (1890) the Realist method
used for the subject but a much looser method for the
background.
Camille Pissaro
Something remarkable about Luce was that
he was at times regimented, and at other times was an
experimental jet setter. While his style of Pointillism
required him to be precise and mathematical, he later on
adopted a looser style in his lithographs. He would also
paint regimented street scenes, but also went outside
the box and painted scenes with social meaning. He was
even known to sign his lithographs in red chalk!
Luce also left us a few mysteries regarding his
portraits. He would sometimes just stamp them as
“Portrait d’homme” (portrait of a man), and not leave
the name of his subject. Luce was friendly with many
French artists and the upper crust, so it’s possible
that his portraits could have been of a historical
figure. One such portrait is thought to be of sculptor
Andre Millet. Could he also have forgotten to add his
signature to certain pieces?
Maximilien Luce's was an experimental artist who helped
to bring Pointillism to life. He worked in many
different mediums and a few different styles, and
changed his color palate often from light and dark to
warm and cool. He favored landscapes and social scenes,
though now and then, he would paint something surprising
and different.
Not sure if you own a Luce original? Only an expert can
tell for sure. We will be happy to consult you.
