ene were visible. Jules felt that painting night scenes was not good because it had certain unpaintable qualities. Because he changed this part in his painting it won second prize and not first. Jules was upset and disappointed by this. In 1880, Jules painted the Joan of Arc (or Joan of Arc Hearing Voices). It was first exhibited in that year at the Salon in Paris and then in Ghent, Belgium. Jules used an apple tree in his grandfather's garden to be the model for the tree in the painting. He also used his family's barn to do the cottage in the painting. Between 1880 and 1883 he traveled in Italy. By now his health was starting to get bad. He died in 1884. Jules wanted painters to go back to nature. He liked the painters of the 1400s, who reflected nature's truth. He was against anything that changed truth of nature. His love of nature is why he would paint out in the fields or in the village square. In 1889 some of his best work was shown at the Paris Exposition. Even though people love his paintings now, when he was alive they didn’t sell very well. Jules was described as a man that was honest and sincere. He was very positive. Jules was very modest about his own work and his success. He loved nature very much. He had many friends who loved him. The painting that I chose to analyze is the Joan of Arc, by Jules Bastien-Lepage done in 1880. This painting is the most interesting painting that I saw while I was at the MET. When I walked by it, it almost pulled my eyes back to it and wouldn’t let me leave. I couldn’t believe how realistic this work is. At first glance I was sure that this was a giant picture. This painting gives you a sense that there is something mystical about it. I felt that there was something very mysterious and even eerie about this painting. The first thing that I really noticed about it I was the effect given to the painting in the foreground and background by the shrubs and twigs and plants throu...
