Henri-André Martin (1918-2004)
A Cabbage White butterfly
Signed and dated 1996
Oil on canvas
19¾ x 19¾ inches

An incredibly striking image of a white butterfly set against a background of yellow petals. Painted with great energy and with a most appealing texture to the paint surface.

Born in Lyon in 1918, Henri-André Martin spent his youth in Saint-Étienne. His beach paintings in particular have been compared to those of Eugène Boudin, developing the former master’s snapshots of figures at the seaside with a more emboldened palette and even freer form, corresponding with the harsher light of Southern France. Initially an advocate of plein air painting, his style developed into a more abstracted perception of the human form and its relationship to landscape. He produced several series focusing on the flora and fauna of the South of France, including studies of butterflies, and the ubiquitous olive and almond trees of Provence. He was awarded the Maurice Utrillo Prize in 1964, the Medal of Honor from the Société Lyonnaise des Beaux-Arts and was both a Member of the Salon of the National Society of Fine Arts and Salon d'Automne, Paris.