Henri Jean Guillaume Martin (French, 1860–1943) was a celebrated French Impressionist painter. Born in Toulouse, Martin studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under
Eugene Delacroix (French, 1798–1863). He then earned a scholarship to continue his studies in Paris under
Jean Paul Laurens (French, 1838–1921). In 1883, Martin won a scholarship for a work shown at the Paris Salon, allowing him to travel to Italy. There, he studied classical Italian masters, and the light-filled Italian landscapes suffused much of his subsequent work.
Martin eventually returned to Paris and began painting in the Pointillist style, creating works of small, separated dots and strokes of color. In 1889, Martin again won a prize at the Paris Salon, and, in 1900, won first prize at the World Fair. Around this time, he began exhibiting his work at venues associated with the Symbolist painters. He was inducted into the Legion d’Honneur, and received commissions to decorate municipal buildings throughout France.
In 1900, Martin permanently left Paris, relocating to a Marquayrol, a country village in the South of France near Cahors. There, he continued to paint, creating pastoral scenes reflecting the beauty and tranquility of his natural surroundings. He often visited his childhood home of Toulouse, and captured its architecture and nearby forests in his later work.
