Jules Bastien-Lepage was born in the village of Damvillers, Meuse and spent his childhood there. Bastien's father grew grapes in a vineyard to support the family. His grandfather also lived in the village; his garden had fruit trees of apple, pear, and peach up against the high walls. Bastien took an early liking to drawing, and his parents fostered his creativity by buying prints of paintings for him to copy.

Jules Bastien-Lepage (pronounced zhewl bahss tyan le pahzh) first studied atVerdun, and prompted by a love of art went in 1867 to Paris where he was admitted to the Ecole des Beaux Arts working under Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889). After exhibiting in the Salons of 1870 and 1872 works which attracted no attent...