French, 1860-1943

Provenance:

Succession de Madame X, France

This work is similar to the painting entitled La Joie de Vie, circa 1905 (200 x 475 cm) conserved in the Musée du Petit Palais of Geneva.

Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin, the son of a carpenter, was born August 5, 1860 in Toulouse. His early works were devoted to poetic and allegorical themes reflecting his training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse where he studied with Jules Garipuy and Eugene Delacroix. After winning the Grand Prix, he moved to Paris in 1879 to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Jean-Paul Laurens. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais in Paris from 1880, winning a medal at the 1883 Salon.

A visit to Italy in 1885 brought a new lyrical freedom to Martin’s work. On his return to Paris in 1889, he began experimenting with pointillism and turned almost exclusively to landscape. In the 1890s his work showed links with Symbolism. He was an associate of the Symbolists and exhibited at their acclaimed showcase—the first Salon de la Rose Croix in 1892. Under the influence of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, Martin adopted pointillism, which is exemplary of his most successful works.
In 1889 Henri Martin exhibited at La Fete de la Federation where he was presented with a gold medal. He was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1896, and in 1900 won the grand prize at the Exposition Universelle. Martin was named Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1914, and became a member of the Institut in 1918.

At the turn of the century, Martin opted for country life and painted almost exclusively in the region around his house, Marquayrol, a mansion overlooking the nearby little village of Labastide du Vert near Cahors. In this tranquil environment Martin developed an approach which fluctuated between Impressionism and Pointililism, his technique changing little from this time on. These often large, colorful and sundrenched canvases are considered to be amongst his most most accomplished works.
Henri Martin received many important official commissions including the decoration of the Hotel de Ville in Paris, works in the Universelle Exhibition in 1900 and the decorations in the Capital at Toulouse and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. His work is represented in many museums including Bordeaux, Buffalo, Dijon, Lille, Montpellier, Nice, Paris, Toulouse and Philadelphia.

French, 1860-1943

Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin, the son of a carpenter, was born August 5, 1860 in Toulouse. His early works were devoted to poetic and allegorical themes reflecting his training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse where he studied with Jules Garipuy and Eugene Delacroix. After winning the Grand Prix, he moved to Paris in 1879 to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Jean-Paul Laurens. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais in Paris from 1880, winning a medal at the 1883 Salon.

A visit to Italy in 1885 brought a new lyrical freedom to Martin’s work. On his return to Paris in 1889, he began experimenting with pointillism and turned almost exclusively to landscape. In the 1890s his work showed links with Symbolism. He was an associate of the Symbolists and exhibited at their acclaimed showcase—the first Salon de la Rose Croix in 1892. Under the influence of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, Martin adopted pointillism, which is exemplary of his most successful works.
In 1889 Henri Martin exhibited at La Fete de la Federation where he was presented with a gold medal. He was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1896, and in 1900 won the grand prize at the Exposition Universelle. Martin was named Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1914, and became a member of the Institut in 1918.

At the turn of the century, Martin opted for country life and painted almost exclusively in the region around his house, Marquayrol, a mansion overlooking the nearby little village of Labastide du Vert near Cahors. In this tranquil environment Martin developed an approach which fluctuated between Impressionism and Pointililism, his technique changing little from this time on. These often large, colorful and sundrenched canvases are considered to be amongst his most most accomplished works.
Henri Martin received many important official commissions including the decoration of the Hotel de Ville in Paris, works in the Universelle Exhibition in 1900 and the decorations in the Capital at Toulouse and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. His work is represented in many museums including Bordeaux, Buffalo, Dijon, Lille, Montpellier, Nice, Paris, Toulouse and Philadelphia.