Notre Dame, the Effect of Sunlight

Francis Picabia rendered this Notre Dame, the Effect of Sunlight in 1906, years before he became a leader of the Dada movement. The oil on canvas measures approximately 67 x 74 cm and depicts the cathedral's facade bathed in warm light. The brushwork is loose and atmospheric, showing clear Impressionist influence.

Picabia met the sons of Camille Pissarro in 1902 and began experimenting with Impressionism. By 1905, he'd signed a three-year contract with a dealer. But critics noticed something odd about his sunlit haystacks and cathedral views. They "practically shout Monet." In fact, Picabia often copied photographic postcards rather than painting en plein air. His Notre Dame facade shows this borrowed approach.

This early success wouldn't last. Picabia grew restless with Impressionism and moved through Cubism to become a founding figure of Dada in both America and France. The cathedral he painted in golden yellow light represented everything the later Picabia would reject. The painting remains in a private collection.