Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff

Jules Bastien-Lepage

Also known as: Jules Bastien-Lepage, Jules Bastien Lepage, Bastien-Lepage, Bastien Lepage, Bastien

Person people/recurring Moderate Updated: 2026-05-25
Show in diary 124 mentions

Research Status: Moderate Last Updated: 2026-05-25 Diary Coverage: Up to 1882-05-01

Overview

Jules Bastien-Lepage (November 1, 1848 – December 10, 1884) was a French painter closely associated with the beginning of Naturalism, an artistic style that grew out of the Realist movement. He was one of the most celebrated painters in Paris in the early 1880s and became a significant figure in Marie's artistic and personal life.

Marie frequently refers to him simply as "Bastien" in her diary.

Historical Background

Early Life and Training

  • Born: Damvillers, Meuse, France
  • Training: Went to Paris in 1867, studied at École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel
  • Career interruption: Fought and was wounded in the Franco-Prussian War (1870)
  • Recognition: After Haymaking (1877), recognized as leader of the Naturalist school
  • Honors: Cross of the Legion of Honour for Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt (1879)

Major Works (1882)

  • Le Père Jacques
  • The Thames at London
  • The Wood Gatherer (Salon of 1882)

Style and Influence

His en plein air depictions of peasant life influenced many international artists:
  • George Clausen (England)
  • Tom Roberts (Australia)
  • American and Scandinavian naturalists

Relationship with Marie

Marie developed a friendship with Bastien-Lepage in 1882, seeing him at the Salon and other artistic gatherings. They shared:

  • Common artistic circles (Académie Julian, Salon exhibitions)
  • Mutual acquaintances (Carolus-Duran, Tony Robert-Fleury)
  • Discussion of technique and artistic philosophy

Significance

Bastien-Lepage represented for Marie:
  • Artistic excellence to emulate
  • A fellow serious artist who treated her as a colleague
  • Connection to the naturalist movement she admired

Death and Legacy

Bastien-Lepage died on December 10, 1884, the same year as Marie (who died October 31, 1884). A statue by Rodin was erected in his hometown of Damvillers.

The Bastien-Lepage Family

Jules's brother Émile Bastien-Lepage (1845–1938) was an architect who became a close family friend of the Bashkirtseffs. The intimacy between Marie and the Bastien-Lepage family (Jules, Émile, and their mother) deepened throughout 1882–1884. During Marie's final illness, Émile carried her upstairs when she was too weak to walk, and the brothers visited regularly. After Marie's death, Émile designed her tomb at Passy Cemetery, and the brothers planned the decorations for her funeral (November 6, 1884).

References in Diary

  • May 1, 1882: Conversation at the Salon
  • Multiple mentions in Book 15 discussing his work and their interactions

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