Femme mettant ses bas by Maximilien Luce
$64,500.00
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Maximilien Luce
1858-1941 | French
Femme mettant ses bas
(Woman putting on her stockings)
Pastel on paper
Signed "Luce 89" (lower left)
Maximilien Luce’s Femme mettant ses bas is a striking example of Neo-Impressionism, encapsulating the artist's innovative approach to color and form. This pastel presents a woman seated while in the intimate act of dressing, capturing the quiet elegance of her pose with vibrant, dynamic hues. The application of color, layered in soft pastels, evokes the sensuality of the moment in form and fabric while showcasing Luce’s mastery of contrasting hues to evoke depth and emotion. The work's overall softness contrasts with the deliberate use of complementary shades to render the figure and the surrounding space.
This composition reflects Luce's dedication to the principles of Pointillism. Known for his contributions to the avant-garde movement, Luce's work carries the influence of Impressionism and features an extraordinary sensitivity to light and texture, making this portrait a rare example of his artistry.
Luce was initially trained as a woodcarver at the École des Arts Décoratifs, eventually finding work with an engraver in London. He returned to Paris in 1879 to begin a four-year military service, during which he enrolled in the Académie Suisse and the studio of Carolus-Duran at the École des Beaux-Arts where he first studied painting. It was also during this time that he became greatly influenced by Impressionism, forging life-long friendships with masters including Camille Pissarro, Paul Signac and Georges Seurat. Luce explored landscapes, urban scenes and depictions of working people in his paintings, often imparting a level of social commentary that make his works both visually and intellectually stimulating.
Dated 1889
Paper: 20 1/2" high x 15" wide (52.07 x 38.10 cm)
Frame: 34" high x 28" wide x 2 3/4" deep (86.36 x 71.12 x 6.99 cm)
View the Dossier
Provenance:
Sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 13 December 1982, lot 124
Galerie Odermatt-Cazeau, Paris (by November 1987)
Galerie Rienzo, New York (2000)
Private Collection, Massachusetts
MSR, New Orleans
Exhibited:
Paris, Musée Marmottan, Maximilien Luce, February-April 1983, no. 7
Paris, Galerie Odermatt-Cazeau, Maximilien Luce: Epoque néo-impressionniste 1887-1903, November 1987-January 1988, no. 3
Literature:
D. Roman, "Maximilien Luce: Une personnalité attachante" in La Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot, no. 4, 28 January 1983, p. 65
D. Bazetoux, Maximilien Luce: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Paris, 1986, vol. II, p. 159, no. 630 (illustrated)
Femme mettant ses bas by Maximilien Luce
$64,500.00
1858-1941 | French
Femme mettant ses bas
(Woman putting on her stockings)
Pastel on paper
Signed "Luce 89" (lower left)
Maximilien Luce’s Femme mettant ses bas is a striking example of Neo-Impressionism, encapsulating the artist's innovative approach to color and form. This pastel presents a woman seated while in the intimate act of dressing, capturing the quiet elegance of her pose with vibrant, dynamic hues. The application of color, layered in soft pastels, evokes the sensuality of the moment in form and fabric while showcasing Luce’s mastery of contrasting hues to evoke depth and emotion. The work's overall softness contrasts with the deliberate use of complementary shades to render the figure and the surrounding space.
This composition reflects Luce's dedication to the principles of Pointillism. Known for his contributions to the avant-garde movement, Luce's work carries the influence of Impressionism and features an extraordinary sensitivity to light and texture, making this portrait a rare example of his artistry.
Luce was initially trained as a woodcarver at the École des Arts Décoratifs, eventually finding work with an engraver in London. He returned to Paris in 1879 to begin a four-year military service, during which he enrolled in the Académie Suisse and the studio of Carolus-Duran at the École des Beaux-Arts where he first studied painting. It was also during this time that he became greatly influenced by Impressionism, forging life-long friendships with masters including Camille Pissarro, Paul Signac and Georges Seurat. Luce explored landscapes, urban scenes and depictions of working people in his paintings, often imparting a level of social commentary that make his works both visually and intellectually stimulating.
Dated 1889
Paper: 20 1/2" high x 15" wide (52.07 x 38.10 cm)
Frame: 34" high x 28" wide x 2 3/4" deep (86.36 x 71.12 x 6.99 cm)
View the Dossier
Provenance:
Sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 13 December 1982, lot 124
Galerie Odermatt-Cazeau, Paris (by November 1987)
Galerie Rienzo, New York (2000)
Private Collection, Massachusetts
MSR, New Orleans
Exhibited:
Paris, Musée Marmottan, Maximilien Luce, February-April 1983, no. 7
Paris, Galerie Odermatt-Cazeau, Maximilien Luce: Epoque néo-impressionniste 1887-1903, November 1987-January 1988, no. 3
Literature:
D. Roman, "Maximilien Luce: Une personnalité attachante" in La Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot, no. 4, 28 January 1983, p. 65
D. Bazetoux, Maximilien Luce: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Paris, 1986, vol. II, p. 159, no. 630 (illustrated)