Jules Bastien-Lepage

Pas Mèche (Nothing Doing), 1882

He was a realist painter but he was sometimes described as an impressionist because he painted large-scale canvasses he’d rig up outdoors but finish off in the studio.

He liked to paint more realist subjects but they’re slightly sentimental. He painted often in his home town in France.

This picture was bought in 1913 by the Galleries for £1,800 – almost twice the annual budget.

He was a really important artist in terms of Scottish paintings, the Glasgow Boys really admired him.

This work was in the collection of George McCulloch, who came from Glasgow.

He only bought pictures by artists who worked during his lifetime. BastienLepage was born the same year McCulloch was, so he particularly liked him.