The Song of Spring by Jules Bastien-Lepage

The bucolic universe and mythology meet harmoniously in this original creation that departs from pure naturalism. We contemplate a spring allegory imagined by Jules Bastien-Lepage under the designation of “The Song of Spring”. This charming painting combines the realistic figure of a peasant woman with the mischievous presence of mythological beings at the heart of nature. The general atmosphere proves to be imbued with a poetic sweetness and a delicate lyricism.

A pensive young village girl with beautiful light brown hair sits in the middle of a green meadow, wearing a white short-sleeved blouse and a long skirt of a delicate lavender blue. She leans gracefully against a large woven wicker basket overflowing with small freshly picked purple flowers from that morning. Behind her, three small entirely nude and winged cherubs with little white wings play joyfully, one of them blowing into a thin light-colored wooden flute. In the background, a vast hilly landscape extends gently toward a small distant and wooded hamlet under a luminous sky dotted with fine cottony clouds. The diffuse light ideally highlights the spring freshness of the wild vegetation.

The artist demonstrates a remarkable know-how in combining the delicate textures of the skin and rustic fabrics. His light and fluid pictorial touch wonderfully restores the poetry of this ideal country landscape. It is a magnificent example of technical sensitivity placed at the service of the imagination.