Wild Sow and Her Young Attacked by Dogs
1748
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1748
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Wild Sow and Her Young Attacked by Dogs is a 1748 by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a Baroque work, depicting hunting, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a wild sow charging at three snarling dogs while her piglets scramble behind her. Oudry painted this for King Louis XV, who loved hunting scenes. The loose, quick lines make it feel like the fight is happening right now—no time for careful details. It’s a study for a bigger painting that hung in the royal palace. If you like this, look up *chiaroscuro*—how artists use light and shadow to make drama.
