Private Collection, Aix-en-Provence, France
Wildenstein & Co., New York
Acquired from the above by the present owners on October 3, 1989

Work is in fairly good, stable condition. Canvas has been lined and is on a new stretcher. Canvas in buckling in places, especially towards lower left. Surface is clean. Small losses to pigment scattered throughout, especially in central third (horizontally), but surface at this point seems stable overall. Under UV light: Scattered small spots of inpainting throughout upper third of canvas. Spots of inpainting are more concentrated in a band across central third (horizontally), particularly around the central branch extending from the right edge. This central concentration may be because the canvas was folded at some point.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

J. Martin-Ferrières, son of Henri Martin, writes of his father: "he was not an intricate man... he loved his art, his 'trade' as he would call it...he practised it with enthusiasm and persevering research, the will of a wonderful workman" (Jac Martin-Ferrieres, Henri Martin: his life, his work, pg. 14). In 1879, Martin won the Grand Prix de la Ville at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts; he was ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚawarded a scholarship allowing him to move to Paris and continue his studies alongside Jean Paul Lauren. It was there in Lauren's atelier that Martin embraced his "trade," developing a style that melded both t🍸he avant-garde styles of Neo-Impressionism with the intellectual poetry and depth of Symbolism.

In 1883, Martin traveled to Rome under a prestigious fellowship allowing him to continue his artistic "research." This exposure to the Venetian Renaissance painters 💯and Classicism profoundly influenced Martin's evolving techniques; Italy was where Martin experimented with the warm palette, explored the manipulation of scale, mastered the sensitive role of color to atmosphere and developed an elegant and energetic painterly brushstroke. Martin returned to Paris in 1889 with an informed artistic direction.

All of these variables come together in Martin's Coucher de soleil au bord de la mer, a monumental painting depicting the setting sun over the sea, painted in 1892. Martin creates a stage with two trees serving as curtains on both the right and left, framing the vista. Martin's quick, evident brushstrokes combined with pointillist dots and dashes create a sense of constant movement. The golden hues of the waning sun infuse the picture with majestic warmth. This breathtaking masterpiece precisely illustrates Martin's celebration of nature's beauty; here is the tangible form of the "wil🦄l of a wonderful workman."

 

Fig. 1 Photograph of the artist