Artwork
Two Cats
Two Cats is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean-Baptiste Oudry. It dates from 1725 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
About this work
Overview
Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s oil painting titled Two Cats, executed in 1725, depicts a domestic interior scene centered on two contrasting felines. The work is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Canada and exemplifies the artist’s attention to animal subjects within a modest setting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a black‑and‑white cat seated on a red cloth, gazing outward, while a second cat crouches nearby, its focus directed toward a small bird lying on the floor. The juxtaposition of the calm, observant cat with the poised hunter suggests a quiet narrative of predatory instinct within a tranquil household environment.
Technique & Style
Rendered in oil, the painting achieves a high level of detail and subtle tonal variation, especially in the fur textures and the rich red of the cloth. Oudry’s handling of light creates a gentle illumination that models the forms, while the smooth brushwork conveys the softness of the animals and the solidity of the surrounding wall.
History & Provenance
Created in the early eighteenth century, Two Cats has remained in public ownership, entering the National Gallery of Canada’s holdings where it is displayed as part of the museum’s European paintings collection. The work reflects Oudry’s broader oeuvre, which often combined naturalistic animal studies with refined decorative settings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Baptiste Oudry was a French Rococo painter, engraver, and tapestry designer. He is particularly well known for his naturalistic pictures of animals and his hunt pieces depicting game. His son, Jacques-Charles Oudry, was also a painter.
The Monkey and the Cat
Still Life with Dead Birds
Cat and dead fowl
Sketches of a kitten
Cat and Dead Pigeons
Fight of a Cock and a Cat
Study of a Cat
Natură moartă cu pisică; pandant: Natură moartă cu postament de piatră
Deer, Dog and Cat
Hunting still life with a hare, two partridges and other birds
Still Life of Game with four Plovers
Fight between a cock and a turkey