The Footbath
Artist
Maximilien Luce
(French, 1858-1941)
CultureFrench
Date1894
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions31 x 38 in. (78.7 x 96.5 cm)
Overall, Frame: 44 1/2 x 51 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (113 x 130.8 x 8.9 cm)
Overall, Frame: 44 1/2 x 51 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (113 x 130.8 x 8.9 cm)
InscribedSigned and dated "'94".
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number77.415
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 217
Label TextMaximilien Luce French, 1858–1941 The Footbath, 1894 Oil on canvas Maximilien Luce’s The Footbath depicts a quiet domestic scene. A hardworking peasant has returned home at the end of the day. His wife pours him a warm, relaxing bath. Despite the subdued subject, the painting is busy with activity. Luce built up his composition with tiny dots of pure, unblended colors that activate the luminous quality of his scene. The effect is striking. Although it depicts a dim, sleepy interior, his picture is awash in brilliance. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 77.415 Exhibition History"The Agrarian Ideal: Monet, van Gogh, Homer," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, October 7, 2016 - January 8, 2017.Published ReferencesClaire White, _Work and Leisure in Late Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Visual Culture_ (Houndmills, England: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) 137.