Woman in Profilec. 1889 · Study 2022.433

Context from the museum

Henri Martin was an important French painter from Toulouse known for his contributions to the Neo-Impressionist movement. He painted this striking depiction of a woman seated outdoors before tall trees at a moment when he was just beginning to develop his mature style. The figure and background are painted with short, thickly applied strokes of pure color, filling the composition with energy and life. The trees are rendered with small hatching strokes and form a background of nearly abstract, decorative shapes.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

A highly celebrated artist during his lifetime, Henri Martin received commissions to produce large paintings to decorate the interiors of important buildings in Paris, including the Palais Royal, the Hôtel de Ville (city hall), the Sorbonne, the Palais de Justice, and Élysees Palace.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Woman in Profile is 45.3 cm wide and 23.2 cm high, equivalent to approximately 17.8 × 9.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.95:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.11 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 15.1% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 127.3 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Woman in Profile in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on canvas, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 45.3 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?