Circle of Jean Baptiste Oudry : Hunting dog and stag

Circle of Jean Baptiste Oudry
Hunting dog and stag
1755
oil on canvas; unframed
128 x 116 cm
inscribed and dated on the lower right: IONCPEVR / 1755
label with reference to Charles Mercier (1832-1909) on the reverse: Ch. Mercier / Peintre / Restaurateur des Tableaux de l'École Nationale des Beaux-Arts et de la Ville des Paris/ 16, rue de Seine, 16 / PARIS
probably in a French collection in the 19th century (according to a restoration label on the reverse)
private property, Austria

Around 1700, a new genre of animal portraiture emerged: depictions of dogs as sole protagonists in a landscape, without the presence of humans. Alexandre-Francois Desportes (1661-1743) and Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755), court painters to the French kings Louis XIV and Louis XV, were the forerunners of this new style, which would lead certain palaces to establish whole galleries to immortalise their rulers’ loyal companions. François Desportes accompanied the Sun King on hunts so that he could depict his favourite bitches, mainly hounds, in their most natural poses – for example when stalking poultry (such as "Tane en ârret devant deux perdrix", 1702, Paris, Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, inv. no. 3913). He was succeeded by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, who portrayed the dogs of Louis XV, who favoured greyhounds and toy spaniels. A recent exhibition in Versailles titled "Les Animaux du Roi" was dedicated to the many animal depictions of the court painters, with a particular focus on hunting dogs and lapdogs. (Alexandre Maral/Nicolas Milanovic (eds.), Les Animaux du Roi. exhibition catalogue, Palace Versailles, 12 October 2021-13 February 2022, Paris 2021, p. 206 et. seq.)

In addition to the depiction of figures embedded in the landscape, the names of the portrayed individuals in gold lettering are particularly charming: for example Florissant, Merluzine, or the dog named Blanche, who stands opposite a pheasant in Oudry's painting ("Blanche, chienne de Louis XV", 1727, Compiégne, Musée national de château, inv. no. 7027).

The name of the dog in the present painting is also distinctive – Ioncpeur, loosely interpreted as the rusher, the fearless one, is indeed looking at the stag facing him in a fearless, almost combative manner. However, the equally determined look of the stag raises doubts as to how the encounter between the two will turn out.

Differenzbesteuert (28%) / differential taxation (28%)