J L Petit – Painter.

During his career Petit painted many thousands of pictures, but his work was never sold, and after his death in 1868, they were passed on to relatives. A century later they were discovered in an attic in Surrey, dumped in auctions and were widely scattered. Only now is their artistic merit and historical value being recognised.

Close to his home base in Lichfield, Petit visited and painted across the region many times. Often, he paints locations and subjects no other historical artist touched. Some 50 of these pictures have been gathered together to be shown to the public for the first time ever.