Les Chaumières au soir 

"Les Chaumières au soir," or "Thatched Cottages in the Evening," is an impressionist style painting by Henri Martin, painted in the late 19th or early 20th century. Martin was one of many artists who turned to the countryside as a place of refuge from the rapidly changing modern world. It is impossible to ignore the politics of the time. The rise of industry, of new urban centers, and the slow decline of rural life. The thatched cottages harken back to a pre-industrial way of life and Martin captures the quiet beauty of the cottages nestled in the landscape. It wasn’t unusual for painters to focus on the plight of the working class during this era. Although there are no figures in this landscape, it evokes a sense of belonging and community, of people quietly living their lives in harmony with nature, just as Martin did himself. I wonder if this is how he saw himself. The painting invites reflection on the value of rural communities and the simple beauty of the natural world.