Jules Bastien-Lepage was a French artist from Damvillers. He went on to study at Verdun and then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, becoming known as one of the leading artists of Naturalism with a large focus on portraits and landscapes.
Jules Bastien-Lepage depicts the figure of Joan of Arc to the right, situated more toward the foreground. Her head is tilted to her left (our right), and she stares into space, as if in deep concentration.
The color scheme is composed mostly of neutral, earthy, and muted colors like whites, greens, and browns, the faded blue of Joan of Arc’s blouse, and the fine golds and whites of the saints to the left.
There are various textural details that imply the natural environment. Some of the textural contrasts include the tree bark’s rougher texture and the stony texture of the house in the background. These can be compared to the softer folds of Joan of Arc’s clothing.
There are various types of lines. For example, the vertical linearity of Joan’s standing figure and the tree next to her to the left, which is echoed by the three vertical tree branches to the right as well as from the spinning wheel’s structure just behind it.
There are mostly organic forms in the painting, and like the above-mentioned lines, there is also a subtle contrast between the geometric shape of the house in the background and the organic forms of the surrounding environment.