By Luciano Migliaccio
From the age of nineteen, Utrillo was devoted to painting the outskirts of Paris in areas such as Sarcelles and Butte-Pinson. He fell in love with the less well-known corners of the city, especially the district of Montmartre, always choosing the street as a theme. He painted the walls and the shacks corroded by time, transforming each detail into an expression of profound human experience, typical of the urban condition at the time. The Masp painting Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre and Château des Brouillards (Castle des Brouillards) shows the picturesque Parisian district in winter, with the powerful dome of the Sacré-Coeur Church. Five small figures, typical of the painter bring a touch of modest grace to the urban landscape. This work pertains to Utrillo’s so-called white period in which the artist was able to obtain gentle and penetrating variations on the same tone, together with an inclination to emphasize linear composition.

— Luciano Migliaccio, 1998

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