Pierre Hods Montmartre is a painting in oil on canvas.

It has a simple wooden frame

and is 32 by 25. Hod painted it from 1912-1932 and it depicts Montmartre hill in Paris,
crowned by the Basilica of The Sacr Cur. A dark, industrial city comprises the foreground,
and the lighter, more classic basilica inhabits the background. The foreground contains sharp
geometric buildings in fractured perspective, typical of Cubist style, while the background holds
the basilica with more curved lines. Montmartres most important features are its perspective,
color, and line, which work to enhance the basilica over the metropolis.
First, perspective is a powerful part of Montmartre. The painting uses a fractured linear
perspective, showing only some faces of the buildings as they recede to several different
vanishing points in the upper background. The edges of the buildings lead to the same general
area, though not the same exact point. Additionally, the shadows of the buildings fall towards a
vanishing point, further strengthening the sense of recession into space. The buildings towards
the background and higher on the hill are somewhat foreshortened. The industrial buildings are
densely layered on top of each other, giving a sense of crowding and three-dimensional presence.
The basilica itself is presented more flatly against the blank sky. Though details on the curved
surface foreshorten with distance, there is no obvious linear perspective on the church. The steel
blue expanse of the background may be aerial perspective or merely the sky. Perspective has a
strong presence in the piece, augmented by the use of line.
Line is also important in the painting. The industrial buildings are composed almost
entirely of straight lines. Though color within each is fairly uniform, the edges are well-defined
if rough with brushstroke. Additionally, these buildings cast shadows with one sharp edge
feathering down to form a triangular gradient. These shadow lines echo the linear perspective of
the buildings, pointing towards the basilica in the background. There is an implied winding line

formed by the edges of rounded shadow and stairs that lead the eye back up to the basilica, as
well. The basilica has the most prominent curved lines in its domes. Most forms in the painting
are bulky and geometric; however, there is some thin-lined detailing. For example, there is the
very geometric type labelling some of the buildings. In the word HOTEL to the upper right of
the composition it is possible to see the guidelines Hod meticulously made to ensure the sign
turned out straight. There is also some ironwork detailed in blank paint, including railings and
streetlamps. Finally, there are a few straggling trees with the paintings weakest brushstrokes,
wispy and curved. Line is an extremely prominent feature of Montmartre, both explicitly and
through color blocking.
Finally, color is significant in Montmartre. The prevailing color in the background is a
dull brown, with mustard, terra cotta, and teal mixed in. Each building is a uniform block of
color, with divisions between shades very clearly defined. There are the aforementioned
shadows, but they only change value, not hue. The basilica is an off-white and very distinct from
the foreground. Though there are some light grey industrial buildings, the basilica outshines
them. Behind the basilica, the sky is a steel blue. The background is much cooler than the earthtoned foreground, emphasizing the distance of the basilica. The details and type are in very
distinct, contrasting colors from their surroundings: black, yellow, orange, and white. This, along
with their meticulous neatness, helps them stand out. Again, color is an important part of the
piece.
The most important characteristics of Montmartre are its color, lines, and
perspective. The color contributes a sense of dullness in the industrial foreground and places the
basilica further back in space while emphasizing it. The lines and perspective work together to

further highlight the basilica by essentially pointing at it. Overall, the painting gives the
impression of a heavenly, classical basilica floating above a chthonic, dirty metropolis.