Jacques Martin Ferrières

Jacques Martin Ferrières was a French painter who was born on August 6th 1893, in Saint-Paul-de-Joux in the Tarn. His father was the world renown post-impressionist painter Henri Marti. Jacques was one of four children and one of his brothers, Claude-René Martin, also pursued a career as a painter. Early on, Jacques trained in painting under his father’s guidance while studying chemistry, which proved useful in mastering pigments and developing his own colors—a rare advantage to his contemporaries.

In his early days, he primarily focused on interior scenes and portraits of women but rapidly, vibrant landscapes became a large part of his work . Jacques Martin Ferrières made his debut at the Salon in 1920 and 1923, where he achieved notable success. In 1924, he was awarded a scholarship and traveled to Italy where he discovered iconic cities such as Rome, Florence, and Venice, which prompted him to include more cityscapes in his creations, distancing himself from pointillism.

He traveled extensively to Spain, Scotland, Greece in the summer while in the winter, he dedicated himself to his studio, where he focused on still-life painting and blooming gardens which allowed him to discover all nuances of colors. In 1928, he painted fresco wall for the Church of Saint-Christophe-de-Javel in Paris, which was highly acclaimed and which led to further more commissioned works for churches in Saint-Ouen, Montauban, and Marseille.

Jacques Martin Ferrières passed away at the age of 78 on July 25, 1972, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, leaving behind a significant legacy composed of canvases and sketches of urban and rural landscapes, as well as numerous floral compositions. Although influenced by his father, he sought to assert his independence throughout his entire career and perfected his own distinctive technique which can be appreciated in many art collections all over the world.