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Description: Signed Henri Martin. (lower left) Oil on canvas

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Dimensions: measurements 30 3/4 by 39 1/2 in. alternate measurements 78.1 by 99.7 cm

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Provenance: Private Collection, United States
Hammer Galleries, New York
Waterhouse and Dodd, London
Acquired from the above on January 31, 2005

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Notes: The authenticity of this work has kindly been confirmed by Cyrille Martin.
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTION
Henri Martin was a master with paint and brush, his canvases are joyous expressions of light, color and texture. 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 of 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" (J. 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 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" (J. Martin-Ferrières, op. cit. p. 42) Fig. 1, Henri Martin, Autoportrait, circa 1912, Paris, Musée d'Orsay