Falaise De Mer Près Du Tréport 

Maximilien Luce made Falaise De Mer Près Du Tréport using oil paint on canvas. Luce was a pointillist painter, closely associated with the Impressionists. These artists were drawn to painting 'en plein air' - capturing fleeting moments in the open air. Looking at the artwork, the most striking aspect is the speed of its creation. Notice the brushstrokes, applied with urgency, capturing a fleeting impression of the beach. This rapid application reveals the attitude of Impressionists towards labor and the art market. Rejecting the laborious, highly-finished academic painting, the Impressionists embraced a quicker, more spontaneous way of working that challenged traditional notions of value and skill. By depicting everyday scenes and embracing a less polished aesthetic, Luce democratized art, making it more accessible and relevant to a wider audience. The painting embodies a shift towards a more modern, industrialized society, where speed and efficiency were increasingly valued. So, we can think of this painting as an object lesson in itself: labor reimagined as creative expression.