Oudry was especially known for his realistic still lifes and animal studies. Louis XV, a great huntsman, appreciated his work and commissioned five paintings from him in 1725. Besides painting, Oudry prepared cartoons for the Beauvais tapestry works, of which he was director, and opened a free school for artists.

Although this type of subject matter may seem a bit distasteful to the modern viewer, it was a common genre in eighteenth-century France, and few artists matched Oudry in his skillful handling of it. The fine variations of texture and sharp observation of nature in this painting demand admiration.

Jean Baptiste Oudry, early 1700s,
Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA, 12/27/19