Henri Martin

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Status, estimation and price of the artist Henri Martin

Price of a painting: 10,200 – 500,000 €.

Price of a drawing: 150 – 85,000 €.

Estimation of a print: 80 – 2,200 €.

If you would like to have a work by Henri Martin appraised, our experts will take care of everything.

Achievement and teaching

Henri Martin was a French painter born on August 5, 1860 in Toulouse, he died on November 12, 1943 in Labastide-du-Vert. Although he was influenced by the Neo-Impressionists, he is nevertheless classified as a poetic symbolist.

The young student did his apprenticeship at the Toulouse School of Fine Arts and then, with a municipal grant, went to Paris in 1879 where he learned from the sculptor and painter Jean-Paul Laurens.

In 1885 he took a trip to Italy, which marked a turning point in his art. He left the academic models to turn towards new impressionism, which was more favourable to dreams. As for love, in August 1881 Henri Martin married Marie-Charlotte Barbaroux with whom he had four sons, two of whom would also become painters: Jacques Auguste and René-Jean.

Inspired by the poetry of Dante, Byron, Poe and Baudelaire, Henri Martin created symbolic works as well as misty landscapes inhabited by melancholic faces. A number of public institutions commissioned him to paint several paintings to decorate their walls, such as the Capitole de Toulouse, La Sorbonne, a cabinet of the Elysée Palace and the French Council of State in the years from 1908 to 1935.

Discovery and rediscovery

During his career, Henri Martin had several students such as Henri Le Sidanier, Pierre-Eugene Montezin and Fernand Pinal.

He spent his last years in Labastide-du-Vert where he had established his workshop.

He was posthumously awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Legion of Honour in 1896 and was appointed Commander in 1914. He was also elected as a full member of the Academy of Fine Arts.

In 2012, 43 of his paintings were discovered in Rennes in an abandoned house. The house belonged to the family of magistrate Paul Riff, a great art lover who died in 1929. Twenty-six of these works are dated between 1892 and 1903. And four of them were signed by the Henri Martin.

Martin’s works were exhibited in Paris and then in Rennes, and were sold at auction. Sixteen of them were bought by the Musée de Cahors Henri Martin.

The oil on canvas Young girl in front of the Marquaryol basin, painted in 1910, sold for 750,000 euros on 20 June 2009. The Musée des Lettres et des Manuscrits won the auction to exhibit the work along with all the painter’s letters.

Recognising Henri Martin’s signature

Like many artists, Martin did not sign all of his works. However, you will find below an example of the signatures to give you an idea. Variations of these signatures do exist, do not hesitate to contact one of our experts to formally authenticate a signature.

Appraising and selling a piece by Henri Martin

If you own a piece by Henri Martin or any other object, ask for a free estimate via our online form.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent view of the market price of your piece. In the context of a possible sale, our specialists will also advise you on the different options available to sell your work at the best price.