Vase of Flowers 1910

Henri Martin made this painting, Vase of Flowers, with oils, and the whole composition is really built up from these small distinct marks, like mosaic tiles. It’s so blue! But there are also flashes of white and little flicks of green. You can imagine Martin, standing in front of the canvas, perhaps outdoors, squinting into the light, building up the image bit by bit with his brush. I can really relate to that feeling, actually, that constant process of building and rebuilding that all painters understand. It's like you are trying to capture something that's always just out of reach. Look at the vase, it's not just a vase, it’s like another bouquet of flowers, but caught in the dark, earthy colours. Maybe he was thinking about impressionism, and pointillism; the way they used tiny dots of color to create light and form. There's something so joyful and generous about that approach, it reminds us that painting is a conversation across time and space. We’re all just trying to figure things out together, one brushstroke at a time.