Jean-Baptiste Oudry

Leo Franklin, circa 1962-1963;
Emile Wolf, New York,
thence by descent

Montreal, Museum of Fine Arts; Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum; Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fogg Art Museum, Louis XIII - Louis XVI:  French Drawings from a Private Collection, 1980, no. 25
Tampa Museum, Louis XIII - Louis XVI:  French Drawings from a Private Collection, 1982

H.N. Opperman, Jean-Baptiste Oudry, London 1977, vol. 2, p. 754, no. D653

Partially laid down on a cardboard backing. The sheet has only been adhered by its edges with the remainder of the sheet free. The blue paper has fractionally discoloured and there is a small made up loss to the lower right corner, to the left of the old attribution. There are some minor abrasions throughout and a small nick to the upper right corner. Otherwise in good condition with the medium fresh and vibrant.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Wild animals in combat was an especially prevalent theme in the work of Oudry, with the frantic encounter depicted in the present drawing a characteristic example. Here the artist depicts an imaginary scene in which lions and bears confront one another in nature's very own battle royale, cleverly using the poses of the quarrelsome animals to create a dramatic, yet unified, composition.

Another drawing also portraying the Combat of Lions and Bears, though dating to 1745 and of a wholly different composition, can be found in the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam.¹

^1. H.N. Opperman, Op. cit., p. 759, no. D644