Oil on canvas, 16ins x 11ins.

The artist sits in her studio, behind her on her left is a portrait of Jules Bastien Lepage, a close friend and tutor of the artist.  Marie Bashkirtseff died on the 31st October 1884 and Jules Bastien Lepage not long after on the 10th December 1884. They met frequently in their last days.

Bashkirtseff was a White Russian whose family moved to France, there she studied under TR Fleury and R Julian. Her most important tutor was Bastien LePage. Originally exhibiting under the name Konstantinowna. She later exhibited at the Salon . Her work “Une Parisienne” a pastel and “Le Meeting” (Deux Gamins) were both a great success at the Salon.

However in her last year her hope was that she would get a medal, even a bronze, for her painting “The Meeting”. The Salon committee however decided otherwise, which upset Marie deeply. Yet the painting was greatly admired, published in newspapers across Europe and admired by leading artist of the time. It was felt that the reason she did not get a medal was because she was a woman.

Le Journal De Marie Bashkirtseff  which was published after her death enhanced her fame. Her letters were published in 1891.