Artwork
Paysage, Labastide-du-Vert
Paysage, Labastide-du-Vert is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin. It dates from 1910 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1910, this oil on canvas presents a quiet rural tableau centered on a small village surrounded by gentle hills and scattered trees. The composition balances architectural elements—a modest church with a prominent spire—and natural forms, all rendered under a clear, light‑blue sky. The work belongs to the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures a tranquil moment in the French countryside, emphasizing the harmony between human settlement and the surrounding landscape. By placing the village at the heart of the composition, the artist invites contemplation of everyday rural life, while the serene atmosphere suggests a timeless, idealized vision of provincial France.
Technique & Style
Executed in a pointillist manner, the painting employs countless small dabs of pigment that coalesce into broader fields of color when viewed from a distance. A palette dominated by greens, browns, and yellows defines the terrain, while soft blues and white clouds illuminate the sky. This approach reflects the artist’s Post‑Impressionist interest in optical mixing and atmospheric effect.
History & Provenance
Henri‑Jean Guillaume Martin, a French painter born in 1860, produced this work during his mature period, shortly before his election to the Académie des Beaux‑Arts in 1917. The canvas entered the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon’s holdings, where it remains part of the institution’s representation of early‑20th‑century French landscape painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henri-Jean Guillaume "Henri" Martin (French pronunciation: ; 5 August 1860 – 12 November 1943) was a French painter.
