76 - Maximilien Luce

Maximilien Luce (French, 1858-1941) La Seine à Herblay, 1890 oil on paper, mounted on canvas (marouflé) signed Luce and dated (lower right) 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. (24.1 x 31.8 cm) Property from a Private Collection, South Carolina This lot is located in Philadelphia. Framed: 18 x 21 x 3 in. The painting is in overall very good condition. There are a few tiny spots of soiling, for instance at the bottom left corner and along the bottom edge at center. There is no evidence of restoration under UV light. Additional images available upon request. A photo-certificate signed by Frédéric Luce and dated November 27, 1964 accompanies this lot. Provenance: Private Collection, Avignon. Aguttes, Neuilly sur Seine, sale of March 27, 2017, Lot 30. Acquired directly from the above sale by the present owner. Exhibited: Paris, Galerie Odermatt et Cazeau, Maximilien Luce, époque néoimpressionniste, 1887-1903, November 27, 1987 - January 30, 1988, no. 10, illustrated. Literature: Philippe Cazeau, Maximilien Luce, Lausanne-Paris, 1982, p. 43, illustrated (as Herblay). Jean Bouin-Luce & Denise Bazetoux, Maximilien Luce: catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. II, Paris, 1986, p. 23, no. 64, illustrated. Galerie Odermatt & Philippe Cazeau, Maximilien Luce, époque néoimpressionniste, 1887-1903, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 1987, no. 10, illustrated. Lot Note: Painted in 1890,La Seine à Herblayis a charming example of Maximilien Luce’s Neo-Impressionist practice at its most colorful and intimate, and directly relates to some of the artist's most celebrated divisionist canvases, including Morning,Interior,1890 in TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt, New York and LaSeineàHerblay,1890 in the Muséed’Orsay, Paris. Working in the wake of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, Luce explored the optical effects of color through small, distinct touches of paint, allowing hues to interact across the picture surface. In this delightful small-scale oil, his vibrant palette and lively brushwork capture the gentle beauty of the Seine at Herblay, transforming an everyday riverside view into a luminous study of light and atmosphere. The work reflects Luce’s early commitment to Pointillism, while revealing the warmth and spontaneity that distinguish his approach.