119 - Jean-Baptiste LALLEMAND (1716–c. 1803), detail from

Jean-Baptiste LALLEMAND (1716–c. 1803), detail from The Melon Seller Oil on canvas H_32.2 x W_40.5 cm Annotation by M. Dubois on the back of the stretcher. Jean-Baptiste Lallemand was a painter, draftsman, and engraver of landscapes, cityscapes, and ruins, active primarily in Paris during the 18th century. His style is characterized by compositions animated by small figures, soft lighting, and a focus on architecture that brings his works close to the veduta tradition. His style is associated with the art of Giovanni Paolo Panini and the tradition of Roman ruin landscapes, as well as with that of painters of harbors and topographical views such as Claude-Joseph Vernet, with whom he shares a taste for picturesque scenes. He also operated within the same artistic milieu as Hubert Robert, who popularized ruins and capriccios in France. His art thus lies between the Rococo style and an emerging neoclassicism, which was more attentive to antiquity. The artist who painted this work drew inspiration from his love of picturesque architecture and scenes of everyday life.