PARIS, LE SEINE ET NOTRE DAME

BY THE LATE 1880S LUCE WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DISSATISFIED WITH POINTILLISM. THE TECHNIQUE OF APPLYING DOTS OF COLOUR TO SIMULATE LIGHT AND SPATIAL RECESSION WAS INTENDED TO CREATE A CLARITY AND SIMPLICITY OF FORM BASED ON RECENT DISCOVERIES ABOUT OPTICAL PERCEPTION. LUCE, HOWEVER, SUSPECTED THAT HIS ARTISTIC SPONTANEITY WAS BEING HAMPERED AND, TOGETHER WITH PISSARRO, BEGAN GRADUALLY TO ABANDON THE TECHNIQUE, MAKING HIS BRUSHSTROKES LARGER AND LOOSER AND HIS PALETTE MORE VARIED. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE LATE 1890S THOUGH THAT LUCE'S WORK TOOK ON A MORE IMPRESSIONISTIC FEEL, ALTHOUGH EVEN THEN HIS STYLISTIC APPROACH TO A PAINTING DEPENDED VERY MUCH ON ITS SUBJECT.

THE PRESENT WORK DATES FROM THIS PERIOD OF TRANSITION. LUCE'S BRUSHWORK IS LOOSER AND FREER THAN HIS WORKS OF 'PURE POINTILLISM', ALTHOUGH ONE CAN CERTAINLY SEE ELEMENTS OF HIS EARLIER DIVISIONAL TECHNIQUE, ESPECIALLY IN THE TREATMENT OF THE SKY.

SOLD WITH A PHOTO-CERTIFICATE FROM DENISE BAZETOUX, DATED PARIS, LE 4 MARS 1998 STATING THAT THE WORK WILL BE INCLUDED IN HER FORTHCOMING SUPPLEMENT TO THE LUCE CATALOGUE RAISONNé.