EARLY 18TH CENTURY, AFTER JEAN-BAPTISTE OUDRY

Details

A BEAUVAIS HUNTING TAPESTRY
Early 18th Century, after Jean-Baptiste Oudry
Woven in wools and silks, from the New Hunts, depicting two courtly figures on horseback to the centre, a further figure on horseback to the right with two dogs on a leash, a hunter to the right on foot with three dogs, all within a wooded hilly landscape with three birds perched in trees to the right, with palatial classical buildings in the background and with a further figure on horseback holding a second horse, within a border with acanthus band and fleurs-de-lys angles and within a later brown outer slip, reduced in height at the top, cut and reattached to the left centre, previously folded over to the right side, minor reweaving and patching, remains of blue outer slip underneath later slip
117½ in. x 189 in. (298 cm. x 480 cm.)

Lot Essay

The New Hunts were designed in 1727 by Jean-Baptiste Oudry (d. 1755) within his contract to supply six new cartoons every three years to the Royal Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory. Oudry had been appointed supplier and designer of cartoons to the manufactory in 1726 and in 1730 was appointed inspector of the works, which enabled him to supervise the quality of the production. The series was later adapted for the Royal Gobelins Tapestry manufactory as the Chasses de Louis XV, which were designed Oudry between 1734 and 1745.

A tapestry from the New Hunts depicting dogs attacking a fox, is in the Residenzmuseum, Munich (D. Heinz, Europäische Tapisseriekunst des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, 1995, p. 207, fig. 105), and a tapestry with huntsmen and playing peasants was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 8 December 1977, lot 142.

More from Fine Continental Furniture,Tapestries and Carpets

View All