Jean-Baptiste Gaut

• Name — Jean-Baptiste Gaut • Born — 2 April 1819 • Birthplace — Aix-en-Provence, France • Place of death — Aix-en-Provence, France • Occupation — Poet, newspaper editor, library director • Spouse — Marie-Nathalie Simon • Children — 1 son, 2 daughters • Parents — Jean-Joseph Gaut Marguerite-Bastienne Berthon

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

Gaut was encouraged to write poetry in Provençal by a friend, Joseph Desanat. He first wrote poetry for Lou Bouil-Abaïsso, a literary journal started by Desanat. In 1852, Gaut was a co-author in a collection of poems in Provençal with Joseph Roumanille. That same year, they organised a conference to promote Provençal poetry in Arles, followed by a similar conference a year later, in 1853. Those conferences were the precursors to the Félibrige movement, founded in 1854 by Roumanille and Frédéric Mistral. Meanwhile, Gaut founded Le Gay-Saber, a Provençal literary review, which only published 17 issues. Later, he published poetry in Armana Prouvençau. Beyond poetry, Gaut wrote two plays in Provençal. His first play, Lei Mourou, was performed in Forcalquier in 1875. He went on to write two opéra comiques, which were performed in Sorgues en 1881. 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. He served as the Director of the Bibliothèque Méjanes from 1878 to 1891.

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

He died on 14 July 1891 in Aix-en-Provence.

• Sounet, souneto e sounaio (poems, 1874).

• Lei Mourou (1875). • La bèn-vengudo (1887).

• Lou mau d'amour (1881). • Blanco-flour de Vau-Claro o L'amour enrabia (1881).