Henri Martin’s Great Decors Room

Paul RICHER

(Chartres, 1849 – Paris, 1933)

1896

Bronze

60 x 21 x 33 cm

This ‘Semeur’ (Sower) appears as one of the heroes of the new society promoted by the Third Republic. His stride is confident, his gait almost triumphant. The pose recalls a work by Jean-François Millet, that also inspired Jules Dalou in his plans for a monument in honour of farmworkers.

Discover ‘The Sower’ by Jean-François Millet

(1850, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

via this QR code.

Discover ‘The Sower’ by Jules Dalou

(1894, Petit Palais, Paris)

via this QR code.

Chartres, Museum of Fine Arts

Henri MARTIN

(Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

First third of the 20^th century

Drawing in black chalk and sanguine (red chalk)

89.5 x 45.5 cm

This is a study for ‘Les Amoureux au printemps’ (Lovers in Springtime). The brushwork is confident. The elongated, slightly undulating lines of the shawl and the skirt emphasise the vertical, upright posture of the woman. The shape of the face is achieved through an interweaving of short hatchings and by the blending of black stone with red sanguine. The artist thus adapts his stroke to what he is representing, whether it be the body or the clothing. This drawing is also interesting because it shows us research in progress. Two positions are considered for the lamb’s head. The one finally chosen is calmer, and the animal seems to be looking at us.

Donated by Pierre Girault, collection of Georges and Odile Girault, 2021

Pierre DAURA

(Minorca, Spain, 1896 – Rockbridge Baths, United States of America, 1976)

Circa 1930

Charcoal on paper

48.7 x 62.9 cm

Pierre Daura also depicts a haymaking scene, most probably in the Lot region. If Henri Martin is closest to the mowers at the bottom of the valley, Daura positions himself at a distance. With an energetic stroke, he sketches the silhouettes of the farmers and farmwomen gathering the grass with their pitchforks. The scene is set against a landscape of rolling hills where the vegetation plays a major role.

Donated by Martha Daura, 1998

Henri MARTIN

(Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

Circa 1913

Red chalk, black pencil, charcoal, tones on grey paper

85 x 53.5 cm

This drawing is a study for one of the large murals in the ‘Conseil d’État’ (Council of State), ‘Le travail de la terre’ (The Work of the Land), also known as ‘Les Moissons’ (The Harvests) (circa 1920).

For his preparatory drawings, Henri Martin combined various techniques. Here, he adds to the black pencil the sanguine —a red pigment – for the upper part of the figure and his arm. The lower part is rendered in charcoal. This is a stick of charcoal that leaves a dark grey, powdery-looking line. It can be toned down—that is, softened—to create lighter grey areas, as here for the woman’s dress. Furthermore, Henri Martin left certain areas untouched, without pencil. In this way, he indicates that the left shoulder or the top of the skirt is brightly illuminated by the light.

Private collection

Henri MARTIN

(Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

Before 1910

Charcoal on paper

60.4 x 46.7 cm

Donated by Pierre Girault, collection of Georges and Odile Girault, 2021

Henri MARTIN

(Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

Before 1910

Black pencil on doubled tracing paper mounted on canvas stretched over a frame

51 x 92 cm

This drawing is a sketch for the large-scale work ‘La Fenaison’ (The Haymaking) on display in this same room. Note the differences between the two: in the large mural, on the left in the background, Henri Martin has added a hay wagon pulled by an ox. A few figures are bustling about around it. However, the artist did not include in the final composition the reaper he had placed on the far right. Finally, he placed in the foreground of the large mural a few objects that evoke a moment of rest. Can you recognise them?

Donated by Pierre Girault, collection of Georges and Odile Girault, 2021

Henri MARTIN

(Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

Before 1910

Graphite pencil on paper

26 x 32.5 cm

Henri Martin was particularly fond of the poplars planted in the valleys of the Lot region. As an artist who sought to capture the ephemeral, he could not help but be captivated by their small leaves, constantly in motion, trembling at the slightest breath of wind. He often depicted this brief moment in the spring when the buds began to emerge, and then when the tiny, pale-yellow leaves unfurled. In summer, it was the shimmer of light on the glossy leaves that he sought to capture.

Private collection

Emile CREVAUX

Printed on paper

29.5 x 72.5 cm

This is a photographic reproduction of three large murals by Henri Martin for the Capitole in Toulouse: ‘The Spring’ ‘The Reapers’ or ‘The Summer’ (1903), and ‘The Autumn’.

Henri Martin inscribed this reproduction. In the lower right corner, you can read: ‘“À mes enfants Henri Martin’ (To my children Henri Martin).”

Private collection

Henri MARTIN

(Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

Before 1910

Charcoal on doubled tracing paper

75.5 x 50 cm

Donated by Pierre Girault, collection of Georges and Odile Girault, 2021

Henri MARTIN (Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

1910

Oil on canvas

376.5 x 701.5 cm

An Enigmatic Origin…

The context in which this immense canvas was created remains a mystery. Was it a large set intended for a public place, but the commission was cancelled? Depending on the document, the same title changes: ‘Les Regains’ (The Regrowth), ‘Les Faucheurs’ (The Reapers) or ‘La Fenaison’ (The Haymaking).

The work was bought by the State in 1910 and presented at the Contemporary Art Exhibition in Antwerp in 1911.

In 1932, the painting was transferred to Brive. Because of its size, it could not be displayed in the rooms of the Ernest Rupin Museum. It was, therefore, exhibited in the Town Council Chamber. In 1974, it was transferred to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Returned to the State in 1992, its ownership was transferred to the Orsay Museum in 1995.

In the same year, the work was transferred to the Cahors Museum, but the museum had no exhibition space for such a large work of art. For almost 30 years, ‘La Fenaison’ (The Haymaking) remained in storage, stored on a roll.

In 2018, renovation work at the museum included a contemporary extension specially designed to showcase Henri Martin’s large-scale décors. Visible, once again today, this work has regained the vitality of its original colours thanks to the restoration of its support and paint layer.

… but a Subject Already Explored.

In fact, the theme of ‘La Fenaison’ is reminiscent of ‘L’Eté ou Les Faucheurs’ (Summer or Mowers) (1902), the large-scale set created for the Capitole de Toulouse: on a fine late afternoon, reapers are busy in a meadow of the Lot Valley.

In this canvas, which could not have been painted before 1905, Henri Martin depicts a valley typical to the region. It is an acid green meadow where mowers are cutting the regrowth, i.e. the grass that has grown back after the first mowing. The painter had the best mowers in the village of Labastide-du-Vert pose so that he could get a close-up view of the gestures and body movements of these men at work.

Further away, other figures rake the grass into small piles.

The tablecloth and leftovers from the picnic have not yet returned to the basket. Lunchtime has long since passed: the shadows on the ground have lengthened, indicating the end of the day. Additionally, the leaves on the trees are turning yellow, summer draws to a close. The poplars with their shimmering foliage stand out against the mauve hills in the background.

On loan from the ‘Fonds National d’Art Contemporain’ (National Foundation for Contemporary Art), On loan from the Orsay Museum, 1995

Restored with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration, 2020-2022’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund, 2020-2022).

Henri MARTIN (Toulouse, 1860 – Labastide-du-Vert, 1943)

Cahors, 1932

Oil on canvas

Three canvases measuring 385 x 280 cm

The Project and its Critical Success 

As early as 1922, the Cahors Town Council considered commissioning a war memorial to honour the memory of the soldiers who died in the First World War. A special commission was set up to study the project and choose a site.

In 1927, Anatole de Monzie, Mayor of Cahors, requested Henri Martin to paint a large decorative panel. The commission was discussed at lively meetings. Some preferred an architectural ensemble in a durable material such as stone, similar to those in other towns. However, the idea of a painted monument was adopted: Henri Martin was a well-known artist whose reputation should attract many tourists.

Surprisingly, it was the State that commissioned the work.

In 1932, Henri Martin produced a triptych, a work made up of 3 panels. It was a great success when exhibited in Paris at the ‘Salon des Artistes Français’ (Salon of French Artists). However, it was well less received in Cahors where it continued to provoke debate. So much so that, under pressure from various war victims’ associations, the Town Council abandoned plans to place them in the peristyle of the town hall. The triptych was finally installed in the Town Council Chambers before being transferred to the museum in 1970.

In 1936, a war memorial adorned with two sculptures was inaugurated on Place Thiers, now Place Charles-de-Gaulle.

Composition

In the centre, Henri Martin placed an imaginary monument with a statue of the goddess Athena. Holding a shield, she symbolises France. On both sides, female communicants lay wreaths of flowers, lilies and palm branches.

The white figures form a large imaginary triangle that gives brightness to the triptych.

On either side, the very dense and sombre crowd, is in contemplation. It is organised into horizontal friezes. Bowed heads, faces in profile or in three-quarter view, men, women and children are motionless.

The upper part of the panels shows a vast panorama of the old town of Cahors, seen from the Cabessut district. The cathedral and its domes are clearly visible on the left, with Pope John XXII’s tower on the right. Houses and monuments stand out against the distant hills. The clouds allow barely a glimpse of the blue sky.

Who’s Who?

There are only 2 soldiers. Their presence is a symbolic reminder of the Great War. Similarly, women dressed entirely in black represent the mourning for those who did not return.

The people of Cahors criticised the painter for depicting mainly those close to him. Indeed, in this crowd, many are recognisable.

On the left:

In front of the soldier, Jacques Martin-Ferrières, son of Henri Martin.

In front of Jacques, Georges Desvallières and Gabriel Pierne.

In the background, Philippe Gaubert, a composer and musician native of Cahors.

In front of P. Gaubert, Louis Hourticq, from the Collège de France, Maurice Fenailles, and Simone Le Sidaner, daughter-in-law of the painter Henri Le Sidaner.

In front of S. Le Sidaner, Marie-Charlotte Martin, wife of Henri Martin.

Behind the communicants, Dr Matza and Mr Monllé, both public figures of Cahors.

On the right:

Behind the communicants, Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Barbaroux, Henri Martin’s father-in-law, and René Lalou, lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeal.

Behind the soldier, the composer Gustave Charpentier, then Nelly Duhem (the woman in the hat), Marie-Charlotte Martin, who appears twice in the composition, Henri Martin himself and Henri le Sidaner.

On loan from the State, 1932