Les Inondations De 1910, Le Pavillon De Flore - Maximilien Luce

A study of the 1910 Paris floods, capturing the Pavillon de Flore with rhythmic brushwork and a cool, atmospheric palette.

In January 1910, the River Seine overflowed its banks, causing significant flooding across Paris. Maximilien Luce, a painter associated with the Neo-Impressionist movement, documented the event with a series of works capturing the city under water. This painting depicts the Pavillon de Flore, a section of the Louvre Palace, as it stands against the rising tide.

Luce employs a technique characterised by short, rhythmic brushstrokes. The application of paint is thick and tactile, creating a sense of movement in both the turbulent water and the heavy, overcast sky. The palette is dominated by cool blues, greys, and teals, which reflect the sombre atmosphere of the flooded city. In contrast, small touches of warm orange and yellow appear in the windows of the building, suggesting the presence of light within the structure despite the external conditions.

Unlike his earlier, more rigid pointillist works, this piece shows a freer approach to colour and form. The reflection of the architecture on the surface of the water is rendered through broken strokes, blurring the boundary between the solid stone of the Pavillon de Flore and the fluid environment surrounding it. The composition focuses on the interplay between the permanence of the historic architecture and the temporary, destructive force of the floodwaters. Luce avoids overly dramatic staging, choosing instead to observe the scene with a direct, painterly eye. The work provides a record of a specific historical moment in Parisian life, captured through the lens of a painter who remained interested in the social and physical realities of the urban environment throughout his career.