Artwork
Rue Custine à Montmartre
Rue Custine à Montmartre is a tempera painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Maurice Utrillo. It dates from 1909 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Small figures traverse the sidewalk beneath leafy trees, providing a sense of scale and daily life without dominating the architectural subject.
Maurice Utrillo's Rue Custine à Montmartre, executed in 1909, is a tempera on cardboard cityscape depicting a quiet, narrow thoroughfare in the Montmartre district of Paris. The composition focuses on the architectural texture of the street, characterized by weathered facades and steep, moss-covered roofs that define the area's vernacular style. Utrillo employs a distinctive technique where thick layers of tempera create a tactile, almost relief-like surface, emphasizing the decay and age of the buildings.
A sign reading "Contestations" is visible on one structure, adding a specific, albeit faded, textual element to the scene. Small figures traverse the sidewalk beneath leafy trees, providing a sense of scale and daily life without dominating the architectural subject. Painted during Utrillo's early mature period, this work exemplifies his shift toward the white, textured style for which he became renowned.
It captures the melancholic atmosphere of Montmartre before its full modernization, reflecting the artist's deep personal connection to the neighborhood where he lived and worked. The painting stands as a significant example of his contribution to the depiction of Parisian street life in the early 20th century.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a specific stretch of Rue Custine in the Montmartre district, an area known for its historic, working‑class character. By focusing on the ordinary architecture and the quiet flow of daily life, Utrillo emphasizes the modest, lived‑in quality of the neighborhood, inviting viewers to contemplate the passage of time on urban surfaces.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera, the work features thick, uneven brushstrokes that create a tactile surface. Utrillo employs a restrained palette dominated by muted grays and browns, while the foliage introduces a subtle green accent. The texture and limited coloration lend the scene a somber, almost documentary atmosphere, characteristic of his early cityscapes.
History & Provenance
Created shortly after Utrillo began his career as a painter of Montmartre, the piece entered the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s broader interest in early 20th‑century French urban painting.
Context
At the time of its execution, Montmartre was transitioning from a bohemian enclave to a more built‑up district. Utrillo, himself a native of the area, documented this transformation through a series of street views. Rue Custine, with its aging structures, exemplifies the tension between the neighborhood’s historic charm and the encroaching modernity of early 1900s Paris.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Maurice Utrillo was a French painter of the School of Paris who specialized in cityscapes. From the Montmartre quarter of Paris, France, Utrillo is one of the few famous painters of Montmartre to have been born there.
