On trouve le corps mort de l'hote que l'on avait cache
1727
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1727
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
On trouve le corps mort de l'hote que l'on avait cache is a 1727 chalk by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a dramatic scene inside a room with stone walls and a fireplace. A woman in a flowing dress stands near the hearth, pointing upward while others react around her. One man kneels by a body on the floor, another reaches out, and a third stands stiffly in the corner. The lighting is uneven, with some figures sharply outlined against dark shadows. The title hints this is about finding a hidden corpse—so the drama isn’t just posed, it’s loaded with tension. The artist used chalk to create bold contrasts, almost like a sketch for a larger work. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow create drama in art.
