Vue Generale De Labastide-Du-Vert Du Haut Du Parc De Marquayrol c. 1905

Henri Martin conjured this general view of Labastide-Du-Vert with oil paint, probably en plein air. I love to imagine him outside, feeling the breeze, surrounded by the sounds of the French countryside, and trying to get all that down on canvas. Look at the painting, at those little dashes and dots, the gorgeous greens, blues, and browns. The colors blend in your eye, but up close, they remain separate. This creates a feeling of shimmer, as if the whole landscape is in motion. I can almost feel the artist thinking, I must get this, I must capture it. That path on the right, snaking its way up the hill, those strokes are laid down with such love. I bet Martin saw other artists doing this kind of thing. Maybe he riffed on Pissarro or Monet, making it his own. But, you know, that’s what we all do. We painters keep the conversation going, talking to each other with marks and colors.