Henri Jean Guillaume Martin

(French, 1860–1943)

Henri Jean Guillaume Martin was a French painter known for his Neo-Impressionist paintings. Like the work of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Martin’s paintings merge Symbolist imagery with controlled Pointillist brushstrokes and pastel colors. Born on August 5, 1860 in Toulouse, France, he went on to study at the Toulouse School of the Fine Arts under Jules Garipuy. In 1883, Martin received a medal at the Paris Salon, and in 1900 was awarded the Grand Prize for his work at the World Fair. His works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, among others. An introvert, Martin eventually purchased a mansion, “Marquayrol,” that overlooked Labastide-du-Vert in France. The secluded location allowed him to flourish and produce some of his best work, and he remained there until his death on November 12, 1943.