the Carmel

Paintings by Celine Martin

Paintings painted by Céline Martin not representing her sister Thérèse.

To see the paintings representing Thérèse, click here.

Headlight

Oil of 27 x 21,5 cm

Note from Celine: Marine made at Miss Godard.

The little lamb

Done at Les Buissonnets between 1885 and 1888

Oil of 25 x 33 cm

Thérèse mentions it in a letter to Marie du Sacré-Coeur - to Latvia.

Still life: sweets

Done at Les Buissonnets between 1885 and 1888

Oil of 19 x 24,5 cm

Still life: roses

1892

Oil of 19 x 24,5 cm

Les Buissonnets

1886

Oil of 19 x 24 cm

Note from Celine: "Small sketch, painting, it is at Les Buissonnets and remains a testimony to the facade as it was at that time".

The Blessed Virgin and Saint Madeleine

1888

Oil

Note from Celine: "This painting has a story: it is this painting that, on June 16, 1888 (it had probably just been varnished) I took to Papa in his Belvedere. It was on his occasion that he offered to make me take lessons in Paris. I confided to him then that I wanted to be a nun and preferred to be less scholarly rather than expose my soul to tarnishing its purity in the artists' studios. "Come," he said to me all moved, "let's go together in front of the Blessed Sacrament to thank God for the honor he is doing me by asking me for all my children..." This painting was again the subject of a conversion. We were in the little house in rue Labbey near the my uncle's house. Papa, paralyzed, was with us. To care for him, we had a servant. This man was of a good and Christian family, but his conduct, in all respects, did not correspond to his education. Now , one day when he was cleaning the big room where this painting was, he came to me all in tears, threw himself at my feet telling me that the painting had spoken to him and that he wanted to change his life. “Until now, he told me, I seemed to be doing my religious duty, but it was so as not to upset my mother and my sisters, I was committing sacrilege. He continued his confession to me, but I stopped him, telling him to go quickly and find the priest. I wanted him to enjoy the grace that at that moment was intense. He went there and came back to me all radiant. Father Rohée, senior parish priest of St Pierre whom he had addressed, came in the afternoon to see his penitent again. He told me that this conversion was one of the finest of his ministry, he was exultant. And to think that it is this poor painting, full of faults, the childhood of art, which produced this marvel! I was very grateful to the good Lord who deigns to use the most miserable instruments to work these wonders."

Portrait of Mother Geneviève

1888

Oil of 80 x 68 cm

Note from Celine: "Thérèse and I had come to see her at the Communion gate. It was during the winter of 1888. I had been lent the little painting from Carmel, a portrait of a foot in miniature, but it was insufficient and I I tormented my large painting so much that the paint no longer had any freshness. However, the Carmelites accepted it and put it, well framed, above the convent door."

Portrait of Sister Agnes of Jesus

August 25, 1888

Oil of 73 x 59 cm

Note from Celine: "Portrait of Pauline from a photograph. I had taken her likeness when she was 21 (photo Besnier - Lisieux). Besides, it was not very well done... Not knowing Pauline's clothes very well Carmelite, I was inspired by the little painting by Mother Geneviève to arrange the clothes."

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Our Lady of Good Counsel

1888

Oil of 71 x 59,5 cm

Note from Celine: "Painting for the Carmel [made before entering]. The little Jesus pleased our little Saint very much, he had a little "pointy" cheek like the little ones "full of milk" said Thérèse. He was placed for a long time, framed, on the door of the confessional at the Porte Conventuelle."

Portrait of Madeleine Guérard

1889

Oil on oval frame 60 x 50 cm, from a photograph

Note from Celine: "Painting portrait requested by his mother, it was estimated and paid for 300 f."

Learn more about Madeleine Guérard.

Portrait of Henry Guerard

2 August 1890

Oil on oval frame 46 x 55,5 cm. made from a photo

Note from Celine: "Henry Guérard as a child, painting portrait. I don't remember if I did it twice and if I gave one to his mother?... Yes, and she was very happy with it."

Learn more about Henry Guérard.

The portraits of the two Guérards were returned to the Carmel in 1973.

Portrait of woman

Around 1890:

Oil of 46 x 35 cm

portrait of a man

Around 1890:

Oil of 46 x 35 cm

Note from Celine: "Old men of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who were sent to me by the Sisters, all in their Sunday best and very happy."

Children

Between 1889 and 1894

Oil of 64 x 54 cm

Note from Celine: "Poor children, two of them with hands. Children of workers whom I summoned to my workshop."

Our house, rue Labbey

1892

Oil of 16x 22 cm

Note from Celine: "I had painted it from my bedroom window, at my uncle's. You can only see the top."

To find out more about the houses on rue Labbey and rue Paul Banaston, click here.

Adoration of shepherds

1893

Oil of 97 x 130 cm

Note from Celine: "This painting had been requested of me by the Carmel for the Choir of nuns. My main idea was that the Child Jesus lights up the whole scene, but the face of the Blessed Virgin and that of the baby Jesus leave something to be desired. In this time there, I was not sure of my expressions. The know-how did not follow the inspiration... However on one of his visits I showed it to Mr. Krug who admired it. He wanted me to take her to Paris to take her lessons. It was while looking at this painting at the Choeur that my little Thérèse felt the desire to know how to paint. She alludes to this desire in the story of her soul. She spoke to me about it in person. , (I had only had the merit of grouping the characters taken here and there from various paintings by Masters)."

Saint John of the Cross

1894

Oil of 92 x 76 cm

Note from Celine: "It had been requested of me by the Carmel. It is the known subject. I had put my interest in obtaining a strong relief of the Cross."

Saint Fabiola

Before 1894

Oil of 46 x 33 cm

Copy of "Sainte Fabiola", by Jean-Jacques Henner

Note from Celine: "A study called "Red Capulet", copy of a painting rented in Paris. I intended to perfect myself by this means in the art of "the head", but I did not have time. somewhat low-cut young girl... is in the attic."

Virgin-Mother

1894

Oil of 40,5 x 30 cm

Note from Celine: "It's a very small painting that was asked of me by my Thérèse when she had composed her poem "The divine dew or the virginal milk of Mary" (PN 01). The Blessed Virgin has her eyes open, baby Jesus has straight hair. I had then followed an idea that I abandoned later and I redid this painting with a stump as we know it. The Blessed Virgin lowers her eyes and the baby Jesus' hair is curled".

Portrait of Sister Marie of the Eucharist

1899

Oil in an oval frame of 79 X 68,5 cm.

Note from Celine: "Painting offered to my uncle, Mr. Guérin, after the death of his daughter in 1905"

Miss de Malvaux

1899

Oil of 65 x 54 cm

Note from Celine: "Mlle de Malvaux, nun of the Sacred Heart, deceased, executed in painting to respond to the desire of Mother Marie de Gonzague. It had been offered to her for her birthday, June 21, 1902. The mother of this nun refused to see this portrait which has been in the attic since that time (it had been done very hastily in a few days) signed C. de L. 1899"

The Agony of Our Lord

1899

Oil of 130 x 97 cm

Note from Celine: "Also made for the Choir, because there were 4 pilasters to adorn. This time, I wanted to recall the thought of our Thérèse when she sings...." An Angel showing you this chosen harvest brought joy back to your Blessed face". (Verse of the hymn: Reminds you)

I had first interpreted the face of Jesus as it was usually conceived. But when I had seen and studied its true likeness, according to the Shroud of Turin, I touched it up. This editing, in my opinion, was not happy, it gives Our Lord "too old".

The first draft, although "type of convention" was more expressive, more alive. I had received a lot of praise from it, from the characters themselves.

The Annunciation

1900

Oil of 130 x 97 cm

The Holy Face

1904

Celine painting the Holy Face

Christ on the Cross

1910

Oil of 73 x 59 cm

The Flagellation

1910

Oil of 73 x 55 cm

Note from Celine: "1910- Christ on the Cross - according to the Shroud of Turin - The Flagellation : These two paintings in grisaille paint were the subject of a very thorough study. I also talk about it somewhere. "Christ on the Cross" was appreciated, I have a small file on him. The subject "Flagellation" did not leave the Monastery, only I even have a photograph of it. It may seem realistic, too realistic, but it is, alas! only too consistent with the truth... These three paintings: the Holy Face and the two studies on the Holy Shroud were made on my personal time: Sunday, non-working days, and the hour of silence in summer".