A Stroke Of Genius: Maximilien Luce

Maximilien Luce was born in Paris on March 13th, 1858. He was a Neo-impressionist artist who was known for his oil paintings, watercolors, graphic art, illustrations and engravings.

The Port of Rotterdam Evening, www.wikipedia.org

Luce became an apprentice to wood-engraver Henri-Theophile Hildebrand in 1872. During his time with Hildebrand, he also attended night classes for drawing where he was taught by Jules-Ernest and Truffet. At this time, Luce started painting in oils. Him and his family moved from their place in Monteparnesse to Montrouge. Luce would then attend drawing classes where he would be taught by Diogene Maillard.

La Seine Herblay, www.wikiart.org

In 1876, Luce began working in Eugene Froment's studio where he created woodcut prints for many publications including L'illustration. He also took art courses at l'Academie Suisse as well as in the studio of Carolus-Duran. While working in Froment's studio, Luce befriended artists Emile-Gustave Cavallo-Peduzzi and Leo Gausson. The three spent their time in Lagny-sur-Marne producing landscape paintings.

Scene de Rue a Paris, www.wikipedia.org

Starting in 1879, Luce spent four years serving in the military. After his time in the military, Luce started painting full time because work as an engraver became scarce. His friends Peduzzi and Gausson introduced Luce to Divisionism, the other technique developed by Seurat and Signac. This led Luce to Pointillism.

Cote de la Citadelle, www.commons.wikimedia.org

After moving to Montmartre in 1887, Luce joined the Societe des Artistes Independants where he displayed his work at the exhibition. Signac purchased his work, La Toilette. Luce would exhibit at every show until he died in 1941 except for the four years between 1915-1919.

While searching for La Toilette, this painting along with a couple others came up with that title. This one is also named Man Washing but I believe this to be the painting that Signac purchased. www.wikipedia.org

Luce had his first solo exhibition in 1888 at the La Revue Independante offices. A year later, he showed six of his pieces at the Les XX exhibition in Brussels. He was also featured in the ninth Les XX exhibition in 1892.

Luce traveled to London with Pissarro in the Spring of 1892. Later on that year, he traveled with Signac to Saint-Tropez. Then in 1893, he went to Brittany.

Port of London Night, www.wikipedia.org

During this same year, Luce met Ambroisine "Simone" Bouin in Paris. She became his model and eventually his wife. They had their first child, a son named Frederick in 1984 who sadly passed away in 1895. In 1896, they welcomed their second child, another son whom they also named Frederick. In 1903, they adopted Simone's nephew Georges.

In the beginning of the new century, Luce's recognition with the Neo-Impressionists began to dissipate because he was becoming less political. His style changed from Neo-Impressionism to Impressionism.

Camaret Moonlight and Fishing Boats, www.commons.wikimedia.org

In 1909, Luce was elected Vice-President of the Societe and then President in 1935 after the passing of Signac who held that position since 1908. However, he resigned as President in 1940 as protest against the Vichy regime's laws that which would have banned Jewish artists from being part of the group.

Luce and Simone finally married in March of 1940 after being together for 47 years. Sadly, she passed away just a few months later. In February of 1941, Luce died in his home at the age of 83.

Self Portrait, www.wikipedia.org

During his years as an artist, Luce created over two-thousand oil paintings, a similarly large amount of watercolors, pastels, drawings and gouaches, as well as over a hundred prints. He was considered to be one of the most productive artists of the Neo-Impressionist movement.

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