Fountain 1920

Henri Martin made this painting, "Fountain," probably with oils, and it's like stepping into a dream. The whole scene shimmers, doesn't it? Tiny dots of color build up these trees and the sky, and it makes you think about how art is just a process, a million little decisions. Look at the surface; it's so alive. It's not about hiding the work but showing it, embracing the materiality of paint. The way the colors mix in your eye rather than on the canvas, that's the magic. See the circular form of the fountain in the foreground? How the color changes across the work, reflecting the light? This reminds me a bit of Seurat, but with warmer feelings. It's like Martin took the scientific approach of pointillism and gave it a hug. To me, this painting says that art can be both precise and totally filled with feeling.