Jean-Baptiste GALLET
 (Lyon, 1820 – Saint-Genis-Laval, 1848)

 Bouquet of flowers in a basket
 Oil on canvas
 Signed and dated lower left
 73 x 51 cm
 1840

 A student of Thierriat and then of Lepage at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, where he attended classes from 1834 to 1840, the young artist was registered there under the name Gallay.

 He exhibited various paintings of flowers and fruits in Lyon from 1842 to 1848, as well as in Paris two paintings in 1847 and two paintings in 1848, the year of his death. A still life will be exhibited in 1850 in Lyon after his death, the same in Paris with a basket of flowers bearing the note: Finished by M. Saint-Jean.

 Gallet places himself in the purest Lyon tradition of still life where he follows the movement created by Antoine Berjon, then by his faithful pupil Augustin Thierriat.

 In our centralized composition, we find this woven wicker basket, typical of this school, and the finesse of execution obviously recalling the great Van Spaendonck, Van Dael, etc.

 Signed and dated 1840, this painting was produced by Jean-Baptiste Gallet at just twenty years old, and already a virtuoso in his art.

 Gallet is present at the Museum of Lyon (Daisies and Dahlias – SDBD 1846) and at the Museum of Brou (Strawberries and Cherries, also called Fruits – SDBD 1840).