Jacques Martin (1844 - 1919) Still Life With Oranges

Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. 46.5 x 61.5 cm.

On a shimmering, ochre-toned cloth, Jacques Martin arranges a faience plate adorned with blue edging, filled with eight oranges still bearing their leaves. The fleshy fruit, with its rough skin and deep orange hue, captures the light with intensity, as though each surface vibrates with the echo of a southern sun.

The dark background, brushed with bold strokes, contrasts sharply with the luminous glow of the fruit, enhancing the tactile, vivid presence of the citrus. The artist employs a generous, impasto technique—typical of the post-Impressionist style from Lyon—which gives the elements an almost sculptural relief.

Though seemingly spontaneous, the composition is carefully constructed: the leafy cluster on the left balances the central group, while the play of folds in the foreground adds depth to the scene. The slightly off-center plate guides the viewer’s eye while anchoring the arrangement in a sensuous, domestic register.

Trained in Lyon and influenced by naturalist traditions, Jacques Martin delivers here a warm still life, poised between academic rigor and vibrant color. It is a work emblematic of a regional painting style focused on light and materiality.

Jacques Martin began his career as a chemical engineer after studying at the École Centrale de Lyon. As director of the Coignet factory, he discovered painting as a self-taught artist and, in 1878, set up a studio within his own factory.

The Lyon painter François Vernay encouraged him and offered valuable guidance. Pierre Puvis de Chavannes would become one of his earliest admirers. From 1881 onward, Martin exhibited regularly at both the Lyon and Paris Salons, and participated in the 1894 Universal Exhibition. In the early 20th century, he helped establish the Salon d’Automne in Lyon.

Alongside his renowned still lifes and opulent floral compositions, he also distinguished himself in landscapes and portraits, always marked by a vivid palette inherited from Vernay. Martin’s work bears the imprint of lyrical realism and an exceptional pursuit of light. After his death, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon held a retrospective in his honor and acquired several of his paintings.