Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Oudry (Paris 1686- Beauvais 1755)
Etude de Fleurs

oil on canvas
Unframed: 71 x 59 cm. (28 x 23 1/8 in.) Framed: 80 x 67 cm. (31 1/2 x 26 3/8 in.)

With Galerie Lestranger, Paris, where purchased by the present owner

Exhibited:
Paris, Galerie Lestranger, Salon des Beaux-Arts de Paris, 1997

Literature:
Galerie Lestranger, Salon des Beaux-Arts de Paris, exh. cat., 1997, pp.6-7.

The attribution to Jean-Baptiste Oudry was suggested by Mrs. Marianne Roland-Michel in 1997.

Born in Paris, Jean-Baptiste Oudry was well known for his naturalistic pictures. He joined the Académie de Saint-Luc, an art school founded and set up by his father. He went on to become assistant professor, and eventually professor in July 1717.

Notably, in the 1720s, Noël-Antoine de Mérou, director of the Royal Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory, commissioned Oudry to create designs for what would become one of the most iconic tapestry series of the era. This series was titled The Pastoral Amusements (Les Amusements Champêtres) and has now become known as one of the most significant series of tapestries of the period.

The present work, which appears to be a preparatory oil sketch, features a collection of lilies, poppies and roses, highlighting Oudry’s ability to capture natural beauty.