Nu Assis 1884

Maximilien Luce made this study of a seated nude, titled "Nu Assis," with a humble and direct medium: pastel chalk on paper. See how the dry, almost dusty, character of pastel allows the artist to build up color and form with short, hatched strokes. This immediacy perfectly suits Luce’s overall project. While he was interested in the figure, he didn't dwell on idealizing beauty. Rather, he saw the world through the lens of labor, politics, and everyday life, and he was fascinated by ordinary people, and ordinary materials, for that matter. Luce was associated with the Neo-Impressionists, who took a scientific approach to color, but also with anarchist politics. For him, both of these interests converged in a desire to reveal the underlying structures of society. The seeming simplicity of the pastel medium, a common tool, and the casual pose of the sitter all speak to Luce's commitment to representing life without artifice or pretension. They remind us that art is not just about the subject, but also about the means and the social context in which it is made.