Work In Focus: Berenice by Henri Martin

The year 1950 was a difficult one for Spencer. Seeking reconciliation with his first wife, Hilda, he had taken out divorce proceedings against his second wife, Patricia Preece. Preece contested the divorce and, tragically, Hilda died later that year. In the bottom right, the cruel-faced woman with outstretched, grasping hand is probably Preece. Pontius Pilate can be seen sitting on the steps to the left, washing his hands, while Christ is led away. At the top of the scene, the disciples have turned their backs on Christ and scuttle off in a group.

This mesmerising painting was probably modelled by the artist Marie-Charlotte Barbaroux, Martin’s wife. It was inspired by a short story, Berenice, by the American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). First published in 1835, this story was translated into French by the poet Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867).

In Poe’s gruesome tale, Egaeus, the narrator, falls in love with his beautiful cousin Berenice. She suffers from a mysterious debilitating illness, causing her to fall into a trance-like state. As Berenice’s health deteriorates, Egaeus develops intense obsessions, focusing latterly on her teeth. The girl eventually dies and Egaeus is grief-stricken. He visits her grave, as if in a dream, and later discovers her extracted teeth in a box beside him. Martin seems to have been inspired by this passage from Berenice:

From the 1890s Martin adopted the neo-impressionist technique, applying small dots of paint to the canvas, which brought him huge commercial success.