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拍品專文
Depictions of monkeys 'aping' human behavior have a long tradition in European art, and Oudry's lively beasts pay homage to one of the most committed masters of the genre, David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690). Oudry's table of monkeys surrounding a paté quotes precisely from a small panel painting by Teniers of the same subject in the Museo del Prado, Madrid (Inv. no. 1810), as Opperman recognized; the great floral surround and leering bust of Bacchus are Oudry's original contribution, however, as are the sweeping landscape setting and the sense of monumentality that the painting projects. The painting also looks to prototypes by Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (1636-1699), a master of still life from the previous generation; see, for example, Monnoyer's Still Life with flowers and a monkey from the Musée de Quimper.
This free-standing canvas seems to have been painted independent of any larger suite of paintings. The subject matter of this sparkling showpiece gave Oudry an opportunity to display all of his skills to their best advantage, combining in one painting as it does animal painting, banqueting still life, floral still life, and even figure painting (in the form of the very flesh-and-blood sculptural bust).
This free-standing canvas seems to have been painted independent of any larger suite of paintings. The subject matter of this sparkling showpiece gave Oudry an opportunity to display all of his skills to their best advantage, combining in one painting as it does animal painting, banqueting still life, floral still life, and even figure painting (in the form of the very flesh-and-blood sculptural bust).