Lovers 

Henri Martin painted Lovers, using the pointillist style of applying small strokes of color to create an image, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. In this pastoral scene, we see a couple standing together in a meadow, their bodies forming a central axis around which Martin arranges dappled light and grazing sheep. The man, perhaps a farmer, is taller and darker, casting a shadow that reaches out towards the viewer. Meanwhile, the woman is bathed in softer light and color. They are presented as archetypes of rural life. But what narratives are left out? Where is the hard labor of farm work? The economic struggles? Instead, Martin evokes a dreamy feeling of leisure and harmony. This idealized vision of the countryside offers a romantic escape from the social realities of the time. The painting reflects the values and expectations of the era, particularly its sentimental views of love and nature.