The digger byHenri MARTIN (1860-1943)

Our work is a sketch for the grand décor of the Conseil d'Etat hall in Paris, “Les Travaux de la place de la Concorde en 1900” (1926).
The figure to be included will be slightly different
Notice of inclusion in the catalog raisonné
certificate.

Henri Martin 1960- 1943

epitomizes the artistic richness of the early 20th century: official painter of public commissions for prestigious buildings, portraitist of celebrities and anonymous workers, artist imbued with Symbolist spirituality and landscape artist capturing reality with an impressionist touch in fauve colors.

Born in Toulouse to a French cabinetmaker and an Italian mother, Martin convinced his father to allow him to become an artist.
He began his career in 1877 at the École des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse, under the tutelage of Jules Garipuy (he was also a pupil of Henry-Eugène Delacroix). In 1879, Martin moved to Paris and, thanks to a scholarship, was able to study in the studio of Jean-Paul Laurens.
Four years later, he received his first medal at the Paris Salon, where he held his first exhibition three years later, in 1886.


The year after he won his first medal, Martin was awarded a scholarship for a trip to Italy, where he studied the work of veterans such as Giotto and Masaccio.
His painting at the 1889 Salon won him a gold medal for a work described as pointillist.
That same year, he became a member of the Légion d'honneur. At the 1900 Universal Exhibition, he was awarded the Grand Prix for his work. It was at this time that he befriended Auguste Rodin.

The painting “Les Travaux, Place de la Concorde” is a notable work by Henri Martin, completed in 1916. One of his many urban scenes, it illustrates a particular moment in the history of Paris during the First World War.

In this work, Henri Martin captures work in progress on the Place de la Concorde, a central location in Paris, at a time when development work was necessary to prepare the city for war. The painting shows a vibrant scene, in which the artist uses bright colors and an impressionist, fauve-like touch, characteristic of his style. It reflects both the modernization of Paris and the energy of the city's transformation during this period.

Henri Martin, as in other of his works, combines a realistic vision of the scene with a more poetic and artistic interpretation, giving his painting a symbolic and aesthetic force.