Man Between Vice and Virtue
Man Between Vice and Virtue (French: L'homme entre le vice et la virtue) is an 1892 symbolist painting by Henri Martin. The painting is currently housed in le Musée des Augustins, in Toulouse, France.
| Man Between Vice and Virtue | |
|---|---|
| French: L'Homme entre le vice et la virtue | |
 | |
| Artist | Henri Martin |
| Year | 1892 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 345 cm × 496 cm (136 in × 195 in) |
| Location | Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, France |
Description
Against the backdrop of a desert landscape, a naked man appears to advance towards a floating female figure clothed in a virginal white dress that emanates in the right portion of the painting.
The man in the painting is followed by a group of women clothed in transparent flowery attire. The group seems to dance and sing in order to attract his attention. In the center of the group is a woman in black dress with peacock feathers and butterfly wings, which symbolize vice in its many forms.[1]
The work is signed "Henri Martin 92" in the lower right corner.
History
Martin adopted a divisionist (pointillist) technique upon returning to Paris from Italy in the 1880s[2] His style was slowly transitioning from realism. This work in particular is unusual because of the realist portrayal of the man's body.
References
- The Academy and Literature. Vol. 41. Academy Publishing Company. 1892. p. 573. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
- "Into the Light: Henri Martin, the French Post-Impressionist 1 – The Eclectic Light Company". eclecticlight.co. Retrieved 2016-08-20.