Bastien-Lepage's
One of the most remarkable works in the 19th Century European Paintings section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is Jules Bastien-Lepage's 1879 Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc). Although displayed in a long hall featuring a number of other paintings, reliefs, and sculptures, it draws a certain amount of attention because of its superior size. (100 x 110 inches) Yet despite its large scale, it does seem slightly crammed in with the great amount of other works collected in the room. (A piece of this size should be shown in a somewhat grander fashion; isolated more to highlight its magnificence.) It is flanked by Alfred Stevens' In the Studio and Alexandre Cabanel's Birth of Venus on the left and right, respectively. Jeanne d'Arc seems to fit in with the works surrounding it, which logically all come from roughly the same time period. Paintings such as fellow Frenchman Pierre-Auguste Cot's The Storm compliment it particularly well. As detailed in the accompanying text panel, the work was originally put on public display in the Salon of 1880. There, it could be viewed with a host of other pieces by critics and commoners alike. The subject matter of Jeanne d'Arc would have been of particular interest to the French people.
They are rendered in a very translucent nature, as the classical definition of "spirit" seems to mandate. Michael, in his armor, is the heroic warrior that Jeanne is often described as being. Bastien-Lepage, like many painters at the time such as Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir, no doubt worked en plein air, a technique in which the artist paints outside, directly from nature, in an attempt to accurately capture the often "fleeting" effects of light and atmosphere. Margaret, hands folded in prayer, is the reverent, pious side of Jeanne. Bastien-Lepage decided to use d'Arc's own backyard (in Domremy, Lorraine, the region to which the painter was native) as the setting for the work. With that in mind, it is perhaps most effective to describe the painting in its three main components, the first of which is the mostly foliage-covered background. It is the final piece of the composition, the image of Jeanne herself, that is quite possibly the most breathtaking. And Catherine, kneeling and with her face buried in her hands, possibly crying, represents the ultimate sadness of Jeanne's story. Renoir, also working en plein air, captured similar lighting effects filtering through the leaves and branches of the trees. While she is in a way being touched by God, she still retains the wonder and innocence of a simple French woman. Each is crowned with a golden halo, showing their angelic nature. Some branches curve and twist to almost envelop the house, while others are shown in a more vertical/horizontal format, providing a partial frame around the work. Moreover, while the work falls under the bracket dates of Impressionism (1860-1900), it much more evokes a sense of emotion usually captured in Realist paintings. This is a theme more common in the works by the likes of Bonheur and Millet. The structure, despite its humble size, exudes a certain sense of comfort and warmth, with its tan/beige-hued walls.
Common topics in this essay:
Jeanne Catherine,
Pissarro Renoir,
Domremy Lorraine,
Cot's Storm,
Impressionist Realist,
Arc Jeanne,
Margaret Catherine,
Galette Objects,
Galette Renoir,
Millet's Gleaners,
jeanne d'arc,
moulin de la,
realist paintings,
lighting effects,
female figure,
st margaret,
st michael,
piece composition,
plein air,
de la galette,
en plein air,
en plein,
la galette,
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Acceptance Essays
