Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by Jean-Baptiste Oudry. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a print titled “Bataille Arrivee dans le Tripot,” translating to “Battle Arrives at the Gambling Den.
About this work
Overview
The work is a print titled “Bataille Arrivee dans le Tripot,” translating to “Battle Arrives at the Gambling Den.” It depicts a tumultuous bar scene where patrons in period coats engage in a violent brawl, overturning furniture and scattering coins across a grimy, smoke‑filled tabletop.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a moment of chaotic confrontation within a gambling house, emphasizing the disorder of the fight through details such as a deck of cards clutched by a combatant and a bottle rolling off the edge of the table. The scene conveys the rough atmosphere of 18th‑century tavern life.
Technique & Style
The image is executed in print form, derived from an original drawing by Jean‑Baptiste Oudry. The artist employs strong chiaroscuro, using stark light‑and‑dark contrasts to draw attention to the figures in combat while rendering the surrounding environment in shadow, enhancing the sense of immediacy and messiness.
History & Provenance
The print is based on a drawing by the French animal and genre painter Jean‑Baptiste Oudry (1686–1755). It was reproduced as part of a series of prints that circulated his compositions, reflecting the practice of translating painted or drawn works into engravings for broader distribution.
Context
During the 18th century, prints served as a popular medium for disseminating scenes of everyday life and moralizing narratives. This work fits within that tradition, offering a vivid illustration of a public house’s darker side, a subject that appealed to contemporary audiences interested in both entertainment and cautionary tales.
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.
