Notre Dame 1900

Maximilien Luce painted this impressionist view of Notre Dame using oil on canvas. This image encapsulates the relationship between institutional power, spiritual life, and the everyday lives of Parisians. Luce painted this scene during a period of immense social change in France; the industrial revolution was in full swing and Paris was at the heart of it. We see Notre Dame, the seat of the Catholic Church in France, looming over a busy embankment. People walk to and fro and a barge passes under the bridge, smoke billowing from its chimney. Here, Luce seems to represent both the enduring spiritual and cultural authority of the Church and the dynamism of modern, industrial Paris. The Musée d’Orsay holds a wealth of primary source material for understanding the cultural context in which this image was made. Researching the histories of French institutions allows us to better understand the complex social forces that shaped this artwork.