Laying the table

Born in Paris in 1847, Victor Gilbert was considered one of the most important realist painters of his time. At the 1880 Salon, he achieved critical acclaim after receiving a second class medal and a state purchase for his painting now at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lille.

Gilbert was mainly a painter of genre scenes both depicting outdoor markets and interior scenes. In the present composition, he shows his mastery by combining the Belle-époque interior with an eye for detail in an anecdotal scene.