Jean-Baptiste Mallet

Jean-Baptiste Mallet painted small, delicate scenes of domestic life in Paris during the Directory and the First Empire: young women at their toilette, visits, nurseries and elegant couples in gardens. He worked mostly in gouache and watercolour, with a light, precise touch.

Born in Grasse, he studied first in Toulon and then in Paris under Pierre-Paul Prud’hon. His work shows the influence of Greuze, Fragonard and Boilly, and of 17th century Dutch interiors. He was associated with the Troubadour style, and exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1793 to 1827, winning medals in 1812 and 1817. His careful rendering of furniture and decor makes his pictures a valuable record of interiors of the period. His work is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington and LACMA.

In A Nursery Scene and A Surprise Visit, look for the tidy detail of furniture, fabrics and gestures.