Le Percement De La Rue Réaumur, Paris 

Maximilien Luce painted 'Le Percement De La Rue Réaumur, Paris', capturing a moment of urban transformation with oils on canvas. Luce, a key figure in the Neo-Impressionist movement, was deeply engaged with anarchist politics. This painting serves as a powerful reflection on the social impacts of modernization. It depicts the construction of Rue Réaumur amidst the backdrop of Parisian society and its rapidly changing landscape. The strenuous labor of the workers, set against the grand architectural changes, prompts a consideration of class and the human cost of progress. Luce often focused on working-class subjects, emphasizing their dignity and strength. The choice to depict these figures reveals the artist's political leanings and empathy. “Art should be a way to express human emotions, not just a demonstration of technical skill” - Luce. The painting invites us to reflect on the emotional and physical labor embedded in the city's foundations, questioning whose stories are told and remembered in the grand narrative of urban development.