TRINITY HOUSE PAINTINGS
HENRI MARTIN AND MASTERPIECE ONLINE 2021
The summer heat has well and truly arrived and with it heralding bursts of colour throughout the countryside.
Colour is often one of the most exciting components of a painting, as shown here by Henri Martin. In both figurative and abstract painting, colour can be used for its decorative beauty, to create mood and to express or arouse an emotion. In nature and in art, colour has a profound effect on the viewer. There is one colour this time of year that sings in a plethora of shades and surrounds us here in the beautiful Cotswolds, green. Green is the colour associated with harmony, security and balance. It creates a sense of peace, gentleness and modesty, especially the pale green shade. Green also symbolizes hope and is beautifully encapsulated in ‘Portrait of a Woman’ by Henri Martin (French, 1860-1943).
Henri Martin modelled many of his studies on relatives and friends; we believe this to be a portrait of Martin’s wife, Marie-Charlotte Barbaroux. Here she is portrayed as an allegorical feminine vision, with burnt umber leaves crowning her head; the use of colours and fine brushwork blend her with the foliage. The 1890s were the height of Martin’s symbolist period, and it was typical of him to represent female allegorical muses, often in very largescale compositions. Though Henry Martin’s allegories at this time drew on the Symbolist movement, they differed in that their symbolism was derived not from convention but the artist’s imagination. This figure is painted in profile with her head turned towards us. Her expression is contemplative and soft, drawing the viewer in to ponder what her story may be.
The characteristic dashes of Henri Martin’s oeuvre loosen and curve to round the neck and shoulders, and tightly speckle to create detail in her face and under her chin. Even with his unique painting technique, Henri Martin’s academic training manifests here as in many of his works as he deftly captures proportion, light and shadow, and depth within the painting. The individualised dabs of paint are a clear homage to the neo-impressionist technique of pointillism, a style which Henri Martin was not only renowned for but also won a gold award at the 1889 Salon.
The works of Henri Martin are held in many of the most prestigious collections internationally including Musee d’Orsay, Paris, Philadelphia Art Museum, Pennsylvania, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit and the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo.
I can’t think of a better image to herald the coming summer trips to the south coast..than this wonderful characterful watercolour ‘The Fisherman’ by Walter Langley, the pioneer of the Newlyn school of plein air artists.
Like many of his fellow Newlyn artists, Walter Langley had spent time in Brittany before discovering Cornwall.
Newlyn is primarily known for its fishing, and certainly, in 1880 it was the main source of income for its residents. Whilst Newlyn was and still is, a picturesque seaside destination, the permanent residents of the small village were stricken by poverty as income from fishing was erratic at best. Langley’s empathy and understanding of the poverty faced by Newlyn’s fishing community started to find expression in his chosen subject matter.
Although Langley was an accomplished painter in oils, he mainly painted in watercolour. Using this demanding and difficult medium, he portrayed scenes of everyday life.
When looking at this watercolour, it is difficult not to marvel at how the artist could have achieved such monumental realism in his chosen medium, which is inherently more delicate and transparent.’
‘The Fisherman’ by Walter Langley. Oil on canvas
BBS MIDSUMMER’S EVE CELEBRATIONS – SAN FRANCISCO
We are delighted to be a part of The British Benevolent Society (BBS) MidSummer’s Eve Celebration at Tiburon’s historic Ark Row, just outside our San Francisco Gallery. This event will be a unique showcase of British goods along with a jazz quintet. Scones and cream, wine and beer available for purchase. Bring friends and family to experience the event and join in the raffle to help raise funds for this amazing charity! A number of works will be available to view including Adrian Heath, Martyn Jones and Donald Fraser. FREE to attend and guests are encouraged to consider making a donation to the BBS.
12TH JUNE 2021 @ 3 – 7PM
HISTORIC ARK ROW, MAIN STREET, TIBURON CA 94920
For more information please contact Karen:
[email protected]
MASTERPIECE ONLINE 2021 TRINITY HOUSE PREVIEW
We are very excited to be part of Masterpiece Online. The fair will not be physically taking place, however, we as always are delighted to be part of one of the most distinguished fairs today and perhaps the most visually seductive.
We have taken great consideration into what pieces we will be exhibiting this year and have decided to display a very strong representation, the Best of British collections and the Best of French collections.
We are excited to share with you our selection of British and French artwork which will be available to view online from Wednesday 16th June.
To enquire about the works in the preview please contact us:
[email protected]
…let’s continue the journey to the south west….whether you are setting out on the M5, already arrived in a room with a sea view or even better sitting on the sand, I certainly hope by immersing yourself in this remarkable story it will give you an insight into the people, landscape and light which inspired the artists of West Cornwall. Now internationally celebrated, they are forever to be associated with the small fishing ports of Newlyn and St Ives.
“THE SHINING SANDS” ARTISTS IN NEWLYN AND ST. IVES 1880-1930
Arriving from the artists’ colonies of France, the Barbizon and Pont-Aven, and the painting schools of London and Paris, they set up their studios in the cottages and net lofts overlooking the sea. Here they painted; their subjects centered on the working life and conditions of the people they lived amongst, and the stark beauty of the rugged Cornish landscape. Challenging the accepted styles of the Victorian masters, their bold work, full of light and colour, often drew upon the working life of the fishermen and their families, recording the tragedies and simple pleasures of their lives.
In The Shining Sands, Tom Cross records the life and work of these artists, from the earliest arrivals in the 1870s, through to the decade following the Second World War. In this period the artists’ colonies grew into one of the most significant art movements of recent times, the influences of which reverberate even today.
The Shining Sands includes such artists as Walter Langley, Frank Bramley, Stanhope Forbes, Norman Garstin, Elizabeth Forbes, Lamorna Birch, Laura Knight, Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood.
The author describes the events and circumstances behind many of the paintings, adding a further dimension to the appreciation of these fine works.
