Les Inondations De 1910, Le Pavillon De Flore 1910

Maximilien Luce made this painting of the 1910 floods and the Pavillon de Flore with oil on canvas, using short brushstrokes in a way that captures the light and texture of a night scene. It feels very intuitive, like Luce really got in touch with the mood of the flooded city. Up close, you can see how Luce layered the paint, thick in some spots, thin in others, which gives the whole surface a kind of shimmering quality. The blues and greens of the water and sky mix with the darker, more solid forms of the buildings. Look at the way he daubed the surface to give the impression of the windows - little pops of orange and yellow amidst all those cool blues. This use of colour really brings the scene to life, it’s almost as if the canvas is breathing. Luce has a connection to artists like Pissarro and Signac in his emphasis on capturing the play of light and atmosphere but he brings something of his own, a sort of gritty realism. Art is like a continuous conversation, and this painting adds its own unique voice.