(b Paris, France, 1847; d 1933) French painter.

Victor Gilbert's natural ability as an artist was recognized early, but his family lacked the financial resources to send the young man to the École des Beaux-Arts. Rather than enrolling in the École, Gilbert was apprenticed to Eugene Adam as an artisan painter and decorator. His only formal education was evening classes with Pierre Levasseur at the École de la ville de Paris.

Perhaps it was his early immersion into la vie quotidienne that formed the basis for his later choices of subject matter for his art, that of the markets and streets of Paris.

Despite his lack of formal training, Gilbert's admissions to the Paris Salons of 1873 and 1874 were very well received by audiences and critics alike; at this time he was supported by the dealer Paul Martin, who was an important proponent of the Impressionist movement.

Gilbert emerged in the early 1880s as the primary Realist painter to record the French marketplace. He achieved considerable success, while firmly establishing his reputation, at the 1880 Salon when he obtained a second-class medal, critical acclaim and a state purchase for his painting entitled A Corner of the Fish Market, Morning.

His oeuvre is punctuated with very large canvases depicting the various sections of the largest marketplace in Paris, Les Halles. His painting styles encompassed both the naturalist manner of the late nineteenth century and the vibrant technique of plein-air light and brushwork that emerged in his paintings of the early twentieth century.

He was honored with a gold medal in 1889 and the Bonnat Prize in 1926. His reputation was confirmed by his nomination to the Legion d'Honneur in 1897.

Source:
"Victor-Gabriel Gilbert," Invaluable, Web, 2018, which credits: Christie’s, New York, 19th Century European Art and Orientalist Art, October 22, 2008, lot 128; Sotheby’s, New York, Important 19th Century European Paintings, November 3, 1999, lot 91; Sotheby’s, New York, 19th Century European Art and Orientalist Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture, April 24, 2009, lot 1)

Victor Gilbert was born in Paris in 1847, and lived eighty-six years in France, passing away in 1933. Though his ability as an artist was recognized at an early age, he was forced to work as an artisan due to financial circumstances. He eventually gained some formal art training later in life from Pierre Levasseur at the Ecole de La Ville de Paris. He also studied under Victor Adam and Charles Busson.

Despite his lack of training, he established himself as a French genre painter, and was quickly recognized by the Parisian public. Especially noted for his market scenes, Gilbert often chose to paint images of vegetables, flowers, poultry, and fish with particular attention to fine details. He also painted many portraits of elegant young women and girls, as well as scenes of Paris, and the landscapes of Normandy, concentrating mainly on the cliffs and harbors.

Gilbert first exhibited at the Salon in 1873 and 1874, and it was during this time that he formed a close friendship with Pierre Martin. Martin was a primary supporter of the Impressionists, and collected works by Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, and Victor Gilbert. In fact, it was Martin's patronage that allowed Gilbert to abandon his career as a decorator, and devote his full concentration to painting.

Gilbert exhibited faithfully at the Salon des Artistes Francais, and in 1889 was given the award d'argent. In 1897 he was made a knight of the Legion d'honneur, and in 1926 won the Prix Leon Bonnat. Gilbert's work also adorns the Hotel de Ville in Paris as part of the original decoration. The Chateau Museum in Dieppe, France, houses Gilbert's work today.