Héritiers de l’artiste

Galerie Alexis Pentcheff, Marseille 

Acquis auprès de cette dernière par l'actuel propriétaire le 21 novembre 2024

Collection Louis Grandchamp des Raux

Cahors, Musée Henri Martin, Toulouse, Capitole, Henri Martin, septembre-octobre 1993, n° 25, reproduit p.31

Paris, Grand Palais, Galerie Pentcheff, FAB 2024, novembre 2024

Cette œuvre sera incluse au catalogue raisonné de l'Œuvre d'Henri Martin actuellement en préparation par Madame Marie-Anne Destrebecq-Martin.

Un avis d'inclusion de Madame Marie-Anne Destrebecq-Martin sera remis à l'acquéreur.

When Symbolism began to wane towards the end of the 19th century, Henri Martin moved away from his mystical subjects, turning towards a new aesthetic.

Towards the age of forty, he discovered the midday light of the countryside of Quercy, where he would henceforth spend time during fine weather – a true turning point in his oeuvre. For several summers, he settled in Saint-Paul-Cap-de-Joux in the Tarn, then, in 1899, he purchased Marquayrol, an old building overlooking the village of Labastide-du-Vert, near Cahors. He stayed there from May to November and built a studio that would become the centre of his artistic creation, spending long hours painting the landscapes of Quercy.

At Marquayrol, he was much more prolific, depicting in turn the large pergola he had had built, the cypress-lined avenue, the terrace, the ponds (ill. 1). It was in setting up his easel in the heart of nature that Martin found a new style and an evolution in his brushwork. He himself spoke of having been compelled to focus on breaking down tones in order to capture the intense light, following the pointillist approach of his good friend Aman-Jean, who was himself close to Seurat. The Marquayrol gardens, today open to the public, form a unique estate of some thirty hectares where Henri Martin found endless inspiration. In this place of calm and contemplation, he produced several hundred paintings. His interest in oleanders, already evident in Clémence Isaure à la Lyre (lot n°45), is also reflected in the plantings in the garden. As in La Porte Ouverte sur le Jardin (ill. 2), this painting offers a view from the living room of the house at Marquayrol: the double doors, thrown wide open, let in a stream of light that floods the entrance hall. The rays of the sun reflect off the floor, whilst the walls, painted with a divisionist brushstroke blending greens and yellows, echo the colours of the garden in a subtle play of inverted balance. This intimate view of the home he loved so dearly conveys a moment of serenity and fulfilment. More than a mere interior, the work celebrates above all the light – the true subject of the painting – symbol of life and harmony. Painted in 1941 during the final years of his life, it bears witness to the long evolution of Martin’s work, which retains a beauty that lends itself to meditation.

Fig. 1 : Henri Martin, Grand bassin du Parc de Marquayrol, circa 1905, huile sur toile

Fig. 2 : Henri Martin, La porte ouverte sur le jardin, huile sur toile