Church in Labastide 

Henri Martin made this painting of a church in Labastide, France, with oil on canvas. Notice how the paint is applied in countless tiny dabs, a technique called pointillism. Martin's labor-intensive process reflects the broader social context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As industrialization transformed labor, artists like Martin embraced handcraft as a means of asserting human agency. Pointillism required immense patience and meticulousness, directly opposing the efficiency and speed of industrial production. Each individual dab of paint is a testament to the artist's sustained engagement with the canvas, emphasizing a slower, more deliberate way of working. Martin’s choice of subject, a rural church, further connects to this theme. It evokes a pre-industrial past, where craft and community were central. Ultimately, understanding the "Church in Labastide" requires looking beyond its surface beauty and considering the social and economic forces that shaped its making.