View of Montmartre 1912

Maurice Asselin made this oil painting, View of Montmartre, with definitive, but softened marks. The canvas, in shades of grey, offers an image of the famous Parisian neighbourhood. It's intriguing to see how Asselin manages to create depth and volume. Look at the way he contrasts the textures of the buildings with the smoother rendering of the sky. It's like he's inviting us to feel the rough stone and slate of Montmartre. Notice that tree in the centre of the frame. The bare branches reach out like fingers, creating a visual pause. And beyond, the Sacré-Cœur basilica looms, solid and almost dreamlike. Asselin, who was working around the same time as artists like Braque and Picasso, shared an interest in capturing urban scenes. But whilst the Cubists fragmented their surroundings, Asselin seems more interested in capturing the feeling of a place. It suggests that art is less about capturing a single truth, and more about offering a personal perspective.