Charmille 

Henri Martin painted "Charmille" using an impressionistic style reminiscent of the late 19th and early 20th century. Martin captures a secret, intimate moment, a personal idyll. The way the light filters through the leaves suggests a certain kind of leisure, removed from the concerns of industrialization that marked the era. There’s a sense of being in a personal, sheltered space. It’s interesting how the garden, often associated with female spaces and cultivation, becomes a space of respite. The single chair is suggestive of a figure, perhaps female, who is momentarily absent. Martin uses the pointillist style to evoke a mood of calm and reverie, a deliberate choice to remove himself from the grittiness of social realism. It speaks to a desire for retreat and perhaps even a critique of the rapid changes happening in society at the time. The emotional resonance of this work lies in its ability to transport us to a tranquil, reflective state.