Luce Maximilien (1858-1941) - The Millstones

Oil on cardboard mounted on panel.
Signed Luce lower left

A major figure of Neo-Impressionism alongside Signac and Seurat, Maximilien Luce developed a painting style of light at the end of the 19th century, based on the juxtaposition of colored brushstrokes.

This landscape depicting haystacks belongs to this modern tradition of rural motifs, inherited from the Impressionists, where the subject becomes a pretext for a vibrant study of atmospheric and seasonal effects. Here, Luce favors a free pictorial style and a generous use of paint, conveying the warmth of the tones and the density of the landscape. The work reflects a pivotal period around 1900, when the artist gradually softened the rigor of Divisionism, evolving towards a less rigid and more expressive brushstroke.