Born in Paris in 1777, Nicolas-Martin Petit was gunner's mate on Baudin's scientific voyage to Australia in 1800. When the official artists left the expedition at Mauritius, Petit and Charles Lesueur took their places. Most notable of Petit's work are his watercolours and drawings of Tasmanian Aboriginals. These were published in 'Voyage des Decouvertes aux Terres Australes' (Paris 1807-1816).
In our database, 27 works by Nicolas-Martin Petit are listed as being offered for sale, the earliest in 1993, of which 18 (67%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $829,600 for Sauvage De L'ile Van Diemen (Detroit De D'entrecasteaux), Early 1802 sold by Deutscher and Hackett in November 2018. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2022. Works by Nicolas-Martin Petit are held by the National Gallery of Victoria, National Portrait Gallery and Ian Potter Museum of Art.
Nicolas-Martin Petit is listed in the following standard biographical references:
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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