A native of Clermont-Ferrand, France, Pierre Jacques Pelletier (1869-1931) began his artistic career as a student under Charles Beauverie. He focused on landscapes, but was equally adept at genre scenes and street scenes of Paris, in both oil and pastel. Pelletier participated in the exhibitions of the Salon des Independants and the Salon des Artistes Francais, where he earned membership in 1902 and received an honorable mention in 1907.