Henri MARTIN 1860-1943

Henri Jean Guillaume Martin, known as Henri Martin, was born in Toulouse on August 5, 1860, the son of a cabinetmaker and a housewife. In 1877, he enrolled at the Beaux Arts in Toulouse (School of Fine Arts), where he began his study of drawing. Thanks to a municipal scholarship awarded in 1879, he went to Paris to study under Jean-Paul Laurens. In 1881, he married Marie-Charlotte Barbaroux, a pastellist who remained his companion throughout his career. A trip to Italy in 1885 transformed his perception of light and color.

Back in France, he developed a technique based on short, vibrant brushstrokes, blending Impressionism and Symbolism. His canvases gave birth to landscapes bathed in mystery, where horizons and figures seemed to merge. He carried out major public commissions, including frescoes for the Capitole in Toulouse and for various buildings in Paris. In 1896, he was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, and in 1914 he was promoted to Commander. He was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1917.

Then, settled in Labastide-du-Vert (in the Cahors region, South West of France), his studio became the setting for his artistic explorations. There he tirelessly painted the Vert Valley, playing on subtle variations of light and atmosphere. His work-an alliance of Impressionism, Pointillism, and Symbolism-retains a gentle, melancholic poetry. He continued his quest for beauty until his death in 1943.