Oudry's Raven, Nautre Morte

Raven, Nautre Morte. Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755). Black ink and watercolor on paper. Paper size: 7 3/4 x 12 inches. Frame size: 13 x 17 inches
Though his father was a painter and art dealer, Oudry's first serious training came from portrait painter Nicolas de Largilliere. By about 1720, the young man was concentrating on animals, hunts, and landscapes. He became a member of the Academie de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1719 and a professor there in 1743. From 1726, Oudry had great success designing tapestries. In 1734 he was named director of the Beauvais tapestry manufacturer, which he re-established by bringing in artists like Francois Boucher. Two years later, he became director of the Gobelin's manufacturer. In addition, Louis XV, king of France, often called Jean Baptiste Oudry to Versailles to paint the royal hounds--in the king's presence. While unsigned, these works are similar in brushstroke, tone, and quality of an album of Oudry watercolors at Harvard Art Museum which were preparatory works for tapestries.