The Hour of Mass in Labastide du Vert 

Henri Martin painted ‘The Hour of Mass in Labastide du Vert’ with oil on canvas using a pointillist style. This painting shows the influence of Neo-Impressionism, with its carefully placed dots of color. But it also presents a scene of everyday life in rural France, with a group of people crossing a bridge to attend mass. The church, a central institution in French village life, dominates the composition. The painting can be situated in the context of the Third Republic in France, a period marked by debates about secularism and the role of the church in public life. We can ask, how does Martin's painting engage with these debates? Is it a nostalgic view of traditional French culture? Or does it offer a more nuanced perspective on the relationship between religion and society? By consulting sources on the history of the Third Republic, the social history of rural France, and the artistic movements of the late 19th century, we can gain a deeper understanding of the painting's meaning and significance.