ton ▁coast ▁that ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁a ▁destination ▁for ▁Paul ▁G au gu in ▁and ▁other ▁Post - Im pression ists . ▁Despite ▁express ing ▁doub ts ▁about ▁his ▁ab ilities ▁as ▁a ▁painter ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁his ▁sister , ▁Sh inn ▁res umed ▁his ▁efforts ▁to ▁gain ▁adm itt ance ▁to ▁the ▁É cole ▁des ▁Be aux - Ar ts ▁upon ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁Paris ▁that ▁fall ▁and ▁was ▁finally ▁successful , ▁thanks , ▁according ▁to ▁Sh inn , ▁to ▁the ▁persistent ▁c aj ol ing ▁of ▁government ▁officials ▁by ▁Thomas ▁E ak ins , ▁another ▁young ▁Philadelphia ▁painter ▁who ▁over la pped ▁with ▁Sh inn ▁at ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Academy ▁of ▁the ▁Fine ▁Arts . ▁Sh inn ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁E cole ▁for ▁a ▁little ▁over ▁one ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁at el ier ▁of ▁Jean - L éon ▁G ér ôme , ▁a ▁well - reg arded ▁painter ▁of ▁classical ▁and ▁Oriental ▁scenes . ▁Sh inn ▁returned ▁to ▁Philadelphia ▁in ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁ ▁As ▁art ▁critic ▁▁ ▁Sh inn ' s ▁doub ts ▁about ▁his ▁painting ▁ab ilities ▁never ▁left ▁him ▁during ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁France . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁E cole , ▁he ▁had ▁resolved ▁that ▁his ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁a ▁painter , ▁thanks ▁in ▁large ▁part , ▁it ▁seems , ▁to ▁his ▁poor ▁eyes ight . ▁He ▁wrote ▁to ▁his ▁sister ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁" Art ▁I ▁should ▁like , ▁and