Antique Modernist Still Life With Books and Pitcher by Raoul Martinez (1876-1974), Signed (1928, Oil on Canvas)

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Description

Raoul Martinez (1876–1974)

Still Life with Books and Pitcher
Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1928
Dimensions: 36 x 30 … Read more Raoul Martinez (1876–1974)

Still Life with Books and Pitcher
Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1928
Dimensions: 36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
Framed in period-appropriate bronze-gilt frame

This still life by French-Cuban painter Raoul Martinez presents a carefully arranged domestic vignette featuring books, apples, cigarettes, and a ceramic pitcher. The background reveals a painted seascape with sailboats—possibly a painting within a painting—suggesting a layered meditation on art and interior life. Signed by the artist in the lower right corner, the composition is notable for its restrained palette and contemplative atmosphere.

The work is in good condition, exhibiting minor surface wear consistent with its age and provenance.

About the Artist

Born in Paris in 1876 to an affluent family, Raoul Martinez maintained strong ties to Cuba, where his family owned a hacienda near Havana. Following an education in Paris, he spent formative years in Cuba before returning to Europe, ultimately establishing himself as a painter in Brussels in 1907. His debut at the influential La Libre Esthétique in 1910 marked the beginning of a career that spanned multiple countries and decades.

Martinez's work reflects a synthesis of French modernism, Caribbean sensibility, and the restrained clarity associated with Northern European artistic traditions. His style traversed post-impressionist, symbolist, and realist modes.

Exhibitions (selected)

La Libre Esthétique, Brussels (1910, 1911)

De Branding, Rotterdam/Utrecht (1918–1919)

Vereniging Voor de Kunst, Utrecht (1918–1934)

Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague (Solo, 1956)

Museum De Wieger, Deurne (Solo, 1999)

Galerie San Salvador, Bruges (1926)

Galerie Imberti, Bordeaux (1938)

Galerie Max Rohr, Bern (1951)

Public Collections

Centraal Museum, Utrecht

Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague

Museum De Wieger, Deurne

Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Otterlo

Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris See less