Notre-Dame, effet de soleil

Painted in 1906, Notre Dame, effet de soleil is one of the great works from Francis Picabia’s Impressionist period, which would swiftly come to an end in 1909 upon meeting the group of artists who would go on to form the Cubist group. Resplendent in a bright early afternoon light, it is the most magnificent of the six paintings Picabia executed of the famous Parisian landmark over the course of the year 1906. Each of the Notre Dame paintings were executed from the same vantage point, in a building situated on the left bank quay of the Seine. Although each painting captures the scene from precisely the same angle, each possesses its own unique quality of light. Ranging from soft, dulcet pastel tones of early morning sunlight, to the rich, golden light of a sunset, the series captures the sense of the passage of time and allows the artist to capture the nuances of the mood and lighting at various moments in the day. The works also call to mind Monet’s famous paintings of Rouen Cathedral, with both artists exploring the changing effect of the light falling across the church façades. The present work, however, is unique within the series for the fact that it captures not just Notre Dame, but also the surrounding streets, buildings and river, with the others depicting only the church. Still bringing to life the beauty and grandeur of the cathedral, this contextualisation of Notre Dame within a wider cityscape alludes to it as the beating heart of Paris, with Parisians pouring in and out of the scenes from all directions, their movement emphasised by the quick brushstrokes.

Picabia’s choice of subject is striking, not simply for its depiction of a traditional medieval church in a Impressionist style. Gothic cathedrals were ground-breaking for their emphasis of natural light in architecture, with innovations in engineering that allowed for the transition from dark, Romanesque churches to tall, intricate palaces of glittering jewel-coloured light. Picabia thus depicts a subject that is emblematic of an architecture considered revolutionary for its use of light, in an artistic style that was considered radical and avant-garde for the very same reasons. Indeed, Picabia’s choice of title – effect de soleil – emphasises the particularity of the light in the scene. Although the sun is not physically depicted in the composition, its presence is felt throughout, illuminating the intense blue of the almost perfectly clear sky. Energetic brushstrokes capture the sparkling effects of the sunlight as it falls upon the cathedral, infusing the scene with a sense of vibrancy and luminosity. The stone façade appears to almost dazzle in the intensity of the light, and the forms of its architecture and sculpture are captured in shimmering, jewel-like dots of gold, ochre, cerulean blue and lilac. It was the intense warmth of the sunlight that seemed to inspire Picabia most. As he explained: ‘My school is the sky, […] the sun is the great master. He never awards a medal or a Prix de Rome, but he has created Pissarro and Sisley…’ (Picabia, quoted in M. L. Borràs, Picabia, London, 1985, p. 49).