Artwork

Les Plaisirs de la chasse: Le plus bécasse des deux n'est pas celui qu'on pense

Les Plaisirs de la chasse: Le plus bécasse des deux n'est pas celui qu'on pense is a print by the Romanticist artist Alade Joseph Lorentz. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1943.477
Credit line: Gift of George W. Bierce

About this work

Overview

The work depicts a well‑dressed hunter kneeling with a rifle, a hat in one hand and an arm raised in a gesture that suggests triumph or mockery.

Created in 1842 by Alade Joseph Lorentz, this print titled Les Plaisirs de la chasse is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. The work depicts a well‑dressed hunter kneeling with a rifle, a hat in one hand and an arm raised in a gesture that suggests triumph or mockery. A richly ornamented chair and a distant landscape complete the scene, while a caption under the image adds a humorous twist to the title.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a fashionable hunter, his elaborate costume, ruffles, sash, and polished boots, highlighting the social status associated with sport. The raised arm and the caption, which translates to a joke about “the bigger fool,” imply a satirical commentary on the pretensions of aristocratic leisure, suggesting that the true folly may lie not in the prey but in the hunter’s affectation.

Technique & Style

Executed as a print, Lorentz employs fine line work to render the textures of fabric, metal, and wood. The exaggerated pose and expressive gestures reflect the 19th‑century penchant for caricature within genre scenes, using visual hyperbole to underscore the comedic narrative. The background is rendered with looser strokes, allowing the foreground figures to dominate the composition.

History & Provenance

The print was produced in 1842, a period when hunting scenes were popular in European visual culture. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition (specific details of the purchase are not publicly recorded), where it remains on view as an example of mid‑century French printmaking and its engagement with social satire.