The Apse of Notre Dame

Albert Marquet's 1902 view of the apse of Notre-Dame de Paris belongs to his sustained engagement with Paris as a painterly subject, particularly its architectural monuments viewed from unusual angles or in atmospheric conditions that transform their familiar character. The apse — the curved east end of the cathedral — was less frequently painted than the famous west facade, and Marquet's choice of this viewpoint reflects his interest in finding novel compositional approaches to familiar subjects. His treatment is characteristically spare and tonal, capturing the massive stone structure without sentimentality. The work is at the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Besançon.

Marquet organizes the composition around the great rounded form of the apse, which fills much of the canvas with its massive curve. The handling is characteristically economical — dark stone accents against pale sky, a few figures or details to establish scale. The palette is cool and restrained: grey stone, pale sky, muted surroundings.