The present work depicts the bustling harbour of Rotterdam, where water, ships, docks and industrial structures are woven together into a vibrant composition. The surface is animated by Maximilien Luce’s broken, rhythmic brushwork, which fragments light and form and allows the scene to shimmer with activity. Colour plays a central role in shaping the atmosphere of the work. Luce balances cool maritime tones with earthy and industrial hues, creating a harmonious yet energetic palette. Light is diffused across the canvas rather than concentrated in a single source, suggesting the changing conditions of a busy port environment.

Luce was a leading figure of Neo-Impressionism and a close associate of artists such as Georges Seurat, Paul Signac and Camille Pissarro. He was deeply committed to the Neo-Impressionist principles of colour theory and divisionism, using carefully placed strokes of pure colour to achieve luminosity and depth. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Luce frequently focused on industrial subjects—factories, construction sites, railways, and ports—making him one of the movement’s most important interpreters of modern, working-class life.

Luce was also politically engaged, holding strong anarchist and socialist beliefs, which informed his interest in labour and urban environments. His work often seeks to elevate everyday industrial scenes, presenting them as worthy subjects of serious art. Luce was elected President of the Société des Artistes Indépendants in 1935, as successor to Signac, renouncing his role at the beginning of the German occupation and the prohibition of Jewish artists to exhibit.

Over the course of his career, Luce exhibited widely in France and abroad and gained recognition for his ability to merge technical rigour with emotional and social resonance. His work is held in public collections in Europe, including the