Large 18th Century French Oil on Canvas Painting Depicting a Hunt Scene

Description

This large (110 inches high) oil on canvas painting depicts a successful hunter, with his felled game displayed near his … more This large (110 inches high) oil on canvas painting depicts a successful hunter, with his felled game displayed near his retriever dogs. Our hunter is leaning against a stone pedestal, clad in blue coat and pants with his rifle beneath his right hand. The man is wearing a gold cap with red fabric attached to it and has a sword on his left hip. Three retriever dogs stand to the hunter’s left, while a fourth sits in front of him (the man appears to be motioning to this dog with his left hand).

An orange terra cotta vase adorned with spiral fluting sits on top of a molded plinth at the top of the pedestal. Ivy has begun to wrap around the vase, which also is festooned with green drapery. On a ledge at the base of the pedestal is the felled game: a rabbit and three birds. The hunting display is surrounded by numerous trees and shrubbery. Mountains and a lake can be seen in the background, beneath a blue sky with pink and orange clouds and birds flying.

Based on the size and vertical orientation, the scene was most likely part of a French boiserie room from the 1700’s, inset into the paneling on a wall. After being removed from the paneling, the painting was placed inside a cream-colored frame with several layers of quarter round and cavetto molding (frame is 19th century). The monumental 18th century oil on canvas painting depicting a hunt scene would make a fantastic addition to a study, den, game room, or gentleman’s office. less