Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728 - 1808) Fishermen near a waterfall

Pastel on paper. 68 x 45 cm. Signed and dated lower left. With frame.

Jean-Baptiste Pillement presents here a majestic landscape, bathed in soft light that envelops the scene in a misty, poetic atmosphere. Gentle tones of blue, green, and brown blend subtly, creating a sense of harmony and serenity. Amid scattered vegetation, a rushing waterfall cascades between large rocks, while a man and his animal cross a rustic wooden bridge. In the foreground, fishermen absorbed in their quiet task are discreetly integrated into the scene, underscoring humanity’s humility in the face of nature’s grandeur.

Few 18th-century French painters led as itinerant a life as Pillement. Born in Lyon in 1728, he completed his studies in Paris before staying in Poland, where he was appointed court painter to King Stanis?aw August. There, he notably decorated a palace room in the chinoiserie style. He later worked in Vienna, particularly for the Prince of Liechtenstein, who acquired ten of his works.

Pillement had already spent time in England as early as 1755, exhibiting regularly at the Society of Artists and the Free Society until 1780. In 1779, writing from London, he announced his return to Avignon for health reasons. He also traveled several times to Portugal, with his last visit to Lisbon dating to 1780. Meanwhile, he continued to exhibit in Paris, notably at the Salons of 1776, 1782, and 1783.

Appointed painter to both the King of Poland and Queen Marie-Antoinette, Pillement eventually returned to Lyon, where he died in relative obscurity.