Recifs 1920

Henri Martin painted 'Recifs' with oil on canvas, and it feels like watching him figure it out, stroke by stroke. The way he builds up those rocky forms, almost brick-like, it reminds us artmaking is just a series of decisions. Look at the water. Isn’t it amazing how he captures the constant movement with these small, choppy marks? You can almost feel the breeze, the sea spray. The texture is so alive, and the colour palette is a symphony of blues and greens, shifting with the light. See that little patch of yellow-green near the bottom? That's where the sunlight hits the water, a tiny burst of energy that brings the whole scene to life. Martin's work reminds me a lot of Seurat's pointillism, but with a rougher, more intuitive edge. Both are interested in light and atmosphere, but Martin seems less concerned with scientific precision and more with the raw feeling of being there. It’s a conversation across time, where each artist takes what they need and makes something new.