The application of oil in this exceptional painting is tempered with the artist's intent to transmit the sensations he personally experienced. Maximilien Luce used color tones, varied textures and mixed techniques to relate the experience for all to enjoy his painting. It is a subtle, relaxing day along the bank of the Seine River in Paris, and if Luce wished, he could have painted a exacting detailed representation of the scene. Instead, the art is to be investigated and draws viewers to make their own interpretations.
A complete work, it features shallow draft sailing sloops making way on the river, the literal heart of the city of Paris. Linked with canals to the Loire, Rhine and Rh Inchesne Rivers, the Seine is also the primary channel of commercial trade for the country. It appears that the architectural heart of the city is in the background, and this countryside park is a pleasant yet close get-away for its citizens. Luce certainly affords a level of care in the Pointillism-inspired patterns within the trees and water's surface, while the well-dressed people at leisure in the scene are of a transitory nature: they come and go while nature remains. This canvas shares the many disciplines that Luce is best known for: a Post-Impressionist work with unique flair.
