Portrait of a Gentleman Netting Partridges
1756
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 69.9 x 97.8 cm (27 1/2 x 38 1/2 in.) framed: 83.8 x 103.5 x 5.4 cm (33 x 40 3/4 x 2 1/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Paul Mellon Collection
Accession Number
1964.2.3
Art Historical Context
In the mid-18th century, English painter Arthur Devis captured the leisurely pursuits of the British gentry in his *Portrait of a Gentleman Net Partridges* (1756). This oil on canvas, measuring nearly 70 x 98 cm, depicts an unidentified gentleman engaged in the refined sport of partridge netting—a method of capturing game birds with fine mesh traps, popular among landowners as a genteel alternative to shooting. Devis, known for his precise, intimate portraits of provincial elites, often placed his subjects in outdoor settings to highlight their status and connection to the countryside. Painte...