Le Quai Montebello et la Colline Sainte-Geneviève

1901, Paris: The Seine glitters in front of our eyes, rendered with a rich tapestry of strokes of aquamarine, pink and purple pigments. In the far distance, the imposing profile of the Pantheon can be made out - its silhouette towering among the Parisian cityscape of the Belle Epoque. The distant rooftops and vertical profiles of the windows are bathed in sumptuous light and only the ephemeral suggestions of carriages and boats remind us that we, the viewers, may not be the sole witnesses to this enchanting, solemn and breathtaking scene.

This particular view held great significance for the artist. The Quai Montebello (Montebello Wharf) is located on the left bank of the Seine, right next to the studio that Luce had been lent by his colleague and friend Albert Dubois-Pillet, at 19 Quai Saint-Michel. From his vantage point overlooking the Quai, the artist could take in the hum and bustle of Belle Epoque Paris: the carriages rattling past, the flow of pedestrians, and the lines of booksellers with their green boxes – the bouquinistes, still active on the Seine today.

Yet, above all, this spot afforded Luce the perfect viewpoint from which to contemplate Notre-Dame. In 1901, the same year during which this work was executed, Luce produced his most celebrated series of views of this Parisian landmark, which stands directly opposite the present view. In this sense, Le Quai Montebello et la Colline Sainte-Geneviève represents it most direct counterpart, both topographically and in terms of its unique quality.

Le Quai Montebello and the Notre-Dame series were both painted during a pivotal moment in the artist’s career, marking a testament to the evolution of Luce’s personal style. At the age of 43, he was beginning to move away from his fervent political convictions, while still embracing subjects drawn from la vie moderne such as the one masterfully rendered here. He continued to remain active in the Parisian art world, exhibiting at the Salon des Independants and it is undoubtedly in these years at the turn of the century that the artist consolidated his reputation as both an interpreter of modern Paris and a painter of luminous, deeply personal city views.

Stylistically, in 1901 he was departing from a more strict Neo-Impressionist doctrine to develop a more individualized approach to the divisionist technique. By loosening this method, he retained the shimmering effect of divided colour but tempered it with a newfound immediacy in execution, granting him greater expressive freedom. In this work, distinct dabs of colour convey the sense of a city poised between motion and stillness—vibrant yet solemnly serene.

Le Quai Montebello embodies both the unique atmosphere of early 20^th century Paris and the Luce’s artistic evolution at one of its highest moments. The artist - and us viewers with him - are observing here a quaint, shimmering moment in the daily theatre of the city – a personal and special view of profound personal importance for Luce and for viewers for generations to come.