Henri Martin (1860 - 1943) — Cain And Lucifer, 1883

Cain and Lucifer, 1883
Oil on canvas signed and dated lower left.
55 x 65 cm

Inspired by a scene from Cain Mystery, Lord Byron (1821).

Provenance:
Private collection, France

Notice of inclusion in the archives used to develop Henri Martin's catalogue raisonné issued by Marie-Anne Destrebecq-Martin.

Between symbolism and pointillism: Henri Martin, a master apart 

Henri Jean Guillaume Martin was born in Toulouse in the summer of 1860. His father was a cabinetmaker, and he was soon drawn to the world of art. For two years from 1877, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse in the studio of painter Jules Garipuy. Later, a municipal grant enabled him to continue his apprenticeship in Paris under the guidance of his master, painter and sculptor Jean-Paul Laurens.  
In 1885, his trip to Italy marked a turning point in his life, reflected in his art in particular by a more poetic approach. Indeed, having left to study the primitives, the young artist began to distinguish himself technically: this geographical distance enabled Henri Martin to distance himself from his academic achievements and set himself apart by developing his own style: short brushstrokes, bright, vivid colors, idealized scenes and a dreamlike atmosphere in particular.  
At the beginning of the 20th century, the painter put his art to work on numerous public commissions, decorating buildings such as his native Capitole, the Sorbonne and the Élysée (1908), and the Conseil d'État (1914-1922). Once settled in his studio in Labastide-du-Vert (Lot), he moved away from the Symbolist themes of his early years, without abandoning them, towards a style combining Fauvism and Pointillism.
Appointed Commander of the Légion d'Honneur in 1914, he was elected full member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts (painting section) in 1917.
Henri Martin, who died in Labastide-du-Vert in 1943, remains a renowned artist whose universe, imbued with poetry, dreams and mystery, is an invitation to travel, reminiscent of his favorite writers: Baudelaire, of course, but also Verlaine, Poe and Lord Byron.
Today, the Musée de Cahors Henri-Martin continues to honor the painter's work, with a permanent exhibition of over fifty of his paintings.

Discover more of this artist's works on the gallery's website: https://www.galeriepentcheff.fr/fr/peintre-henri-martin#Oeuvres