Victor Gilbert was born in Paris in 1847 and lived in France for eighty-six years. Though his ability as an artist was recognized at an early age, he was forced to work as an artisan due to financial circumstances. He eventually gained some formal art training later in life from Pierre Levasseur at the Ecole de La Ville de Paris. He also studied under Victor Adam and Charles Busson.

Despite his lack of training, he established himself as a French genre painter and was quickly recognized by the Parisian public. Especially noted for his market scenes, Gilbert often chose to paint images of vegetables, flowers, poultry and fish with particular attention to fine details. He also painted many portraits of elegant young women and girls, as well as scenes of Paris and the landscapes of Normandy, concentrating mainly on the cliffs and harbors.

Gilbert first exhibited at the Salon in 1873 and 1874 and it was during this time that he formed a close friendship with Pierre Martin. Martin was a primary supporter of the Impressionists and collected works by Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin and Victor Gilbert. In fact, it was Martin's patronage that allowed Gilbert to abandon his career as a decorator and devote his full concentration to painting.

Gilbert exhibited faithfully at the Salon des Artistes Francais and in 1889 was given the award d'argent. In 1897 he was made a knight of the Legion d'honneur and in 1926 won the Prix Leon Bonnat. Gilbert's work also adorns the Hotel de Ville in Paris as part of the original decoration. The Chateau Museum in Dieppe, France also houses Gilbert's work today. Victor Gilbert died in France in 1933.