Gilbert is particularly famous for his market scenes, in which he captures the bustle of flower, vegetable and fish markets with a delicate, realistic touch.

His depictions of country life, particularly in Normandy, reveal a deep appreciation of rural life, and he gives his scenes a poetry and love that honors farmers.

In 1897 Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, 1926 Prix Léon Bonnat. He participated in the decorative painting of the Hôtel de Ville in Paris.