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Pas Mèche [Nothing Doing]

Jules Bastien-Lepage1882

National Galleries Scotland: National

National Galleries Scotland: National
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

A young boy looks directly out of the painting clad in raggedy clothes and large unlaced boots. His relaxed air fits the title which is an abbreviation of the French slang: 'Il n'y a pas meche' meaning 'There's nothing doing'. The whip he holds and the horn slung on his back suggest that he was a barge boy who would have controlled the horses pulling the barge and alerted the lockmasters of its imminent arrival. The painting was made for the London art dealers Arthur Tooth and Sons and was included in the artist's memorial exhibition held in Paris in 1885.

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  • Title: Pas Mèche [Nothing Doing]
  • Creator: Jules Bastien-Lepage
  • Date Created: 1882
  • Physical Location: Scottish National Galllery
  • Location Created: France
  • Physical Dimensions: h 132.10, w 89.50 cm
  • Credit Line: Purchased 1913
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/copyright-image-licensing
  • External Link: See this work at nationalgalleries.org
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Art Genre: Portrait
  • Art Movement: Glasgow Boys
  • Art Form: Painting
  • Support: Canvas
  • Depicted Topic: Boy
National Galleries Scotland: National

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