Jean-Baptiste Oudry

Student of his father, then of Michel Serre and Nicolas de Largillierre, Jean-Baptiste Oudry was one of the most prolific and successful artists of his day. Although he devoted himself to all the genres of painting, he achieved the height of his fame in the reign of Louis XV for his subjects of animals and hunts. He was received into the Académie royale in 1719, attaining the rank of adjoint à professeur in 1739 and professeur in 1743. Oudry was named peintre de la vénerie royale in 1726, artistic and financial director of the tapestry works at Beauvais in 1734, and inspecteur of the royal manufactory of the Gobelins in 1736. Painter of hunting scenes, animals both exotic and domestic, landscapes, portraits, still lifes, historical and genre subjects, he was also a talented illustrator (Scarron, La Fontaine…) and the author of numerous suites of tapestry models.