Jules Bastien-Lepage 1st November, 1848 - 10th December, 1884

Jules Bastien-Lepage was a French painter born in Meuse, France, in 1848 and spent his childhood there, being taught by his father who was an artist himself. His first formal training was at Verdun, and in 1867 he moved to Parisand , where he was admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, working under Cabanel.

His style was innovative and fresh, but it took some time for people to recognise this which resulted in several unsuccessful paintings. His paintings soon grew in popularity and after the success of Haymaking he was recognized in France as the leader of the emerging Naturalist school. Painters all over the world were now mimicking his style and bringing oil painting into a new era.

He died on the 10th of December, 1884 in Paris.