1727
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Ragotin lie par les parents du fou is a 1727 chalk by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a chaotic scene of people and animals tangled together. A man on the ground clutches a dog, while others scramble around him. Trees and bushes fill the background, and the whole thing looks messy and dramatic. The artist used black and white chalk on blue paper to create sharp contrasts. The movement and energy feel wild, almost like a story unfolding in real time. Next, look up Baroque to see how this style’s drama fits into bigger art trends.
Jean-Baptiste Oudry was a French Rococo painter, engraver, and tapestry designer. He is particularly well known for his naturalistic pictures of animals and his hunt pieces depicting game. His son, Jacques-Charles Oudry, was also a painter.
See the richer artist page
