Jean-Baptiste Gaut

Jean-Baptiste Gaut was born on April 2, 1819 in Aix-en-Provence, France.[1][2] His father, Jean-Joseph Gaut, was an arquebus manufacturer. His mother, Marguerite Bastienne Berthon, was the daughter of armourer Jean Berthon.[2]

Gaut was encouraged to write poetry in Provençal by a friend, Joseph Desanat.[1] He first wrote poetry for Lou Bouil-Abaïsso, a literary journal started by Desanat.[1] In 1852, Gaut was a co-author in a collection of poems in Provençal with Joseph Roumanille.[1] That same year, they organised a conference to promote Provençal poetry in Arles, followed by a similar conference a year later, in 1853.[1] Those conferences were the precursors to the Félibrige movement, founded in 1854 by Roumanille and Frédéric Mistral.[1] Meanwhile, Gaut founded Le Gay-Saber, a Provençal literary review, which only published 17 issues.[1][2] Later, he published poetry in Armana Prouvençau.[2]

Beyond poetry, Gaut wrote two plays in Provençal.[2] His first play, Lei Mourou, was performed in Forcalquier in 1875.[2] He went on to write two opéra comiques, which were performed in Sorgues en 1881.[2]

Gaut was active in Aix-en-Provence. He served as the editor-in-chief of Le Mémorial d'Aix, a bi-weekly newspaper in Aix.[3] He served as the Director of the Bibliothèque Méjanes from 1878 to 1891.[3]

Gaut married Marie-Nathalie Simon.[2] They have three children: Jeanne-Marguerite Gaut (born 1861); Pauline Gaut (born 1866); and Jean Gaut (born 1871).[2]

He died on July 14, 1891 in Aix-en-Provence.[1]

• The Rue du Felibre Gaut in Aix-en-Provence is named in his honour.[1]
• The Allée Jean-Baptiste Gaut in Sausset-les-Pins as well as the Rue Jean-Baptiste Gaut in Velaux are also named in his honour.[4]