John Louis Petit – Rediscovering an Overlooked Forerunner of Impressionism

John Louis Petit (JLP, or Petit) 1801–68 is one of the most important British artists whose work has had a huge influence on architecture. At the same time, both his work and individual pages of his biography are full of mysteries and unknown facts. This work is aimed at studying the creative heritage of John Louis Petit. The research is based on the study of published sources and scientific works, as well as art criticism analysis of Petit’s creativity. The author outlines the main aspects of his career and then assesses the ways his art is significant in the wider context of European art history of the mid-19th Century.