La Conversation

Painstakingly composed of small touches of brilliant colours La Conversation illustrates Henri Martin’s mastery of Neo-Impressionist technique. Depicting an outdoor scene, the picture captures the vibrant effect of sunlight and subtle variations of perfectly harmonised tones. Decomposing the spectrum of light into small brushstrokes of pure colour, La Conversation shows Martin’s ability as a storyteller, colourist, as well as a Neo-Impressionist painter.

Two women are in deep conversation in the foreground, whilst at the same time the artist suggests that they may also be sewing or knitting. There is a sense of rhythm and time passing by, enhancing the decorative undertones of the subject. In its rigour, the work exemplifies how Martin was able to depict the life of his time, while the technique - modern, fragmented and vibrant - adds a fleeting sense of beauty and a delicate harmony to the painting.

Although embracing the Neo-Impressionist style, Martin successfully exhibited throughout his life at the Salon, debuting as early as 1880 and receiving a prize in 1883. In his works, he succeeded in marrying modern technique and classical subject-matter. The brilliance of his colours, the assurance of his compositions and the Symbolist undertones of his earlier works made the publicly celebrated artist Pierre Puvis de Chavannes declare: ‘This one will be my heir, he will be my successor’ (quoted in De Seurat à Paul Klee, Le néo-impressionnisme, exh. cat., Paris, 2005, p. 413). In the 1900s, the harmony of his colours and the decorative qualities of his compositions gained Martin several prestigious public commissions, namely the murals for the newly built Hôtel de Ville in Paris and the Capitole in Toulouse, the artist’s native town. At his retreat at Labastide-du-Vert, however, Martin continued to explore landscape paintings and genre scenes, applying the decorative strength of his public commissions to more private works, such as La Conversation.