Epilogue
Happy Barricade Day! After all, June 6th is the day they made their sacrifice, so I’m not late, right?
The inspiration for this drawing came from the Toledo Cathedral—the sense of the heavens opening up, which also corresponds to the final song of Les Misérables, "Epilogue."
In the painting, I wanted to depict the scene Jean Valjean vaguely sees as he passes away. Fantine takes his hand, leading him toward heaven, while the Bishop stands beside him, illuminating the path behind. And in the background are those who fell during the battle.
The upward composition gives the feeling that their voices fade into the "valley of the light," reflecting their destiny of "climbing to the light." I wanted the darker surroundings to contrast with the light of heaven, showing that they now dwell in that place beyond—echoing the lyric, "We will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord."
Jehan loves playing the flute, so perhaps the "distant drums" are sounds he conjures.
Behind Valjean, there is a mural of women—intended to represent the "lovely ladies," along with little Gavroche and his sister Éponine above. These figures embody the suffering people of the earth, much like the lyrics of "Wretched of the Earth."
On the heavenly side of the mural are two elderly men: the Parliament G and Mabeuf. Finally, the little angels surrounding the Bishop are Gavroche’s younger brothers.
