Misse and Luttine
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 97.8 x 131.5 cm (38 1/2 x 51 3/4 in.) framed: 123.2 x 159.4 x 12.7 cm (48 1/2 x 62 3/4 x 5 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Victor Thaw, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1994.53.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s *Misse and Luttine* (1729) offers a charming glimpse into 18th-century French aristocratic life. Painted in oil on canvas, the work captures two dogs—likely beloved companions or prized hunting breeds—with remarkable lifelikeness. Oudry, a leading animal painter of the Rococo era, specialized in such portraits, using the medium’s rich textures to render soft fur, alert eyes, and subtle expressions that bring the animals vividly to life. Created during the reign of Louis XV, the painting reflects the period’s growing taste for intimate, decorative scenes celebrating nature and domestic pleasures. Its generous scale and careful framing suggest it was intended for display in a grand interior, where it would have delighted viewers with its blend of realism and elegance. Today in the National Gallery of Art, this gift highlights Oudry’s skill at elevating animal subjects to the level of formal portraiture, inviting modern visitors to appreciate both the artist’s technical mastery and the enduring appeal of his canine subjects.
About the Artist
Jean-Baptiste Oudry · 1686–1755
Comment on works: Fish; Game; Dogs; Hunt scenes