Valle du Vert with Shepherdess 

Henri Martin created this landscape with oil paints, inviting us into a pastoral scene dominated by vertical lines of slender trees. The composition is structured by these forms, creating a rhythmic division of space that leads the eye into the depth of the valley. Martin’s broken brushstrokes, a hallmark of his pointillist technique, do more than just depict the scene. They construct it. The colors blend optically, creating a vibrant tapestry of greens, blues, and earth tones. The shepherdess and her flock, rendered with the same dabs of color as the landscape, are integrated into the scene, rather than being distinct from it. This technique dissolves firm boundaries and challenges traditional notions of form, which may reflect broader intellectual currents of the late 19th century. Rather than a clear representation, the painting offers an experience—a meditation on how we perceive and construct our reality.