Pool Near Tonnelle de Marquayrol 

Henri Martin painted ‘Pool Near Tonnelle de Marquayrol’ with oil on canvas using the Pointillist technique, which is based on a systematic approach to optical mixing. This image creates meaning through its visual codes and cultural references to rural France. We can see how the garden scene relates to the late 19th-century social and economic structures by referring to the histories of gardening. It references social class, as owning a house with a garden was a sign of wealth and status. The location of the scene may allude to the artist’s political leaning in support of the French Third Republic, a period of relative peace and prosperity for the country. The artwork is a reflection on the social structures of its time, being self-consciously conservative in its appreciation for traditional values. The historian helps in the interpretation of art by providing insight into its social and institutional context, using sources like exhibition reviews, artist biographies, and sociological studies. The meaning of art is contingent on these social and institutional conditions.