Fountain 1920

Henri Martin made this painting called "Fountain" with small dabs of oil paint, like little confetti. Imagine him, perhaps outside, squinting in the sun, building up the image bit by bit. I'm seeing a garden with tall, dark trees like exclamation points and a gate in the middle, all done with these soft, broken strokes. The color is amazing—warm yellows and greens against a hazy blue. It gives you that shimmering, dreamy feeling, you know? He must have been trying to catch a certain light, a mood. Was he thinking about the Impressionists, or maybe even trying to find something new in that style? The way he breaks up the light, it’s like he’s saying, "Here’s how I see it, in pieces, but all together, it makes sense.” Painters are always talking to each other, even across time. It makes you wonder what painters a hundred years from now will make of our work. It's a beautiful, ongoing conversation.