Original works of art

A pupil of Nicolas de Largilliere, one of Oudry’s first portraits depicted a hunter with his dog. Oudry painted a diverse group of pictures early in his life, including many portraits, still-lifes and a few history pictures. But, it was with paintings of animals that Oudry came into his own.

Some time during 1723 -1724, Oudry was introduced to Henri-Camille, Marquis de Beringhen, the “premier ecuyer du roy,” who was instrumental in the organization of the royal hunt. Beringhen presented Oudry to Louis XV and secured a studio for him in the Tuileries palace. His first royal commissions came in 1724, and in 1725 he painted the portrait of two royal greyhounds, “Misse and Turlu” (now in the National Museum of the Chateau of Fontainebleau) in the presence of the king. Its success led to the commission of many additional portraits of the royal dogs over the next few years, including a series of over doors portraying his favorite hunting hounds for his apartments at Compiegne.

In 1728 Oudry began preparing his very large, outstanding picture of Louis XV Hunting the Stag near the Forest of Saint-Germain, completed in 1730 (now in the Musee des Augustins at Toulouse). The unconditional success of this painting paved the way for Oudry’s commission in 1733 for “The Royal Hunts of Louis XV,” a series of nine panels of hunting scenes to be woven at the Gobelins Tapestry works.