Henri Martin

Henri Martin was a master with paint and brush; his canvasses are joyous expressions of light, color, and texture. As in the present work, his depictions of landscapes and architecture allow viewers of his paintings to open a window to turn-of-the-century France. Jac Martin-Ferrières, the artist's son, writes, "Henri Martin was without contest an Impressionist and one who had the deepest sensitiveness, certainly equal to that Monet, whom he most admired. Their interpretation of nature is certainly, owing to their utmost sensitiveness and not through research of a technical process, a poetical evocation hued by a thousand colors which can undoubtedly be called a work of art" (Jac Martin-Ferrières, Henri Martin, Paris, 1967, p. 35).

Ferrières continues, "If I look at a fragment of Henri Martin's canvas, especially one with soft hues, I immediately recognize it. I see a great number of dots of different colors, as precious and rare as precious stones. His palette is an enchantment. Many different interminglings of colors make a rare and rich harmony. The real colorist does not use vivid colors as many laymen might think. And it is much more difficult to find a good harmony of colors when representing nature than to assemble some nice colors, representing nothing. In here lies the gift of Impressionists and that is why there are so few" (ibid. p. 42).