Labastide du Vert in Marquayrol 1890

Henri Martin made this landscape painting, Labastide du Vert in Marquayrol, using brushes and oil paints. The laborious technique he employs is called pointillism. You can see how he touched the canvas repeatedly, building the image through countless small dabs of color. This approach was born in an era of mass production. Pointillism offered a way of making a painting without broad brushstrokes, almost as though it were being assembled from discrete, repeatable units. This echoes the logic of the factory. The technique is extremely time-consuming, demanding a commitment of labor that few artists could truly afford. While the subject here—a peaceful village—seems far removed from such concerns, the very way in which the painting was made speaks to the changing conditions of labor and production. The painting’s shimmering surface results from Martin’s dedication to this process, a testament to the value of intensive, skilled work. By focusing on the details of materials and making, we can fully appreciate the artist's intention.