About the Artist
Jan Balet
Jan Balet was born in Bremen, Germany in 1913. After receiving a fine art education in Munich, Balet moved to in New York City in 1938 and began work as an illustrator for several major companies as well as children’s books. He was a long-time illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post, and his works are cited in several articles and books around the globe. It was during his time in the US that the artist developed an interest in American Folk Art, amassing a large personal collection. Balet began his fine art career after moving back to Europe in 1965, funding his move with the sale of his folk art collection. It was here that he began learning lithography print making techniques and began to exhibit his artwork in galleries in France, Germany, and Switzerland. Balet combined his love for folk art, his talents as an illustrator and infused his own special blend of humor into his works. Balet’s works depict the joys in life that we recognize from our personal experience while inviting us to explore the irony, quirkiness of our relationships. Balet continued to live and paint in Switzerland until his death in 2009 at the age of 96.
