Moricauld pointing a pair of partridges in landscape; and Minette pointing a covey of partridges in a landscape

In 1724, the Marquis Henri Camille de Beringhen (1693-1770) was named Premier Écuyer of the Petite Écurie du Roi, and was entrusted with the planning and execution of the Monarch's hunts. Jean-Baptiste Oudry painted his portrait, in which he is accompanied by his dog along with hunting trophies (Washington, National Gallery of Arts, inv. 1994.14.1). Satisfied with Oudry’s ability to render the liveliness of animals, the Marquis introduced the painter to the King of France, who then allowed Oudry to represent the royal hunts and commissioned a series of portraits of his dogs to decorate his château in Compiègne. His canine portraits became popular among his clientele, who sought similar paintings to decorate their hunting lodges and luxurious homes. The present dog portraits representing the pointers Moricauld and Minette follow the compositional style set out by Oudry, used in his Dog on point in front of a partridge (sold Christie's, Paris, 18 May 2022, lot 219), with the dog positioned to one side of of the center of the canvas, pointing its prey, and a landscape extending beyond.