Nicolas Gresly

About the Painting

This charming oil painting from circa 1750 depicts a young hunter in rustic attire negotiating the sale of his catch with a well-dressed gentleman. The scene unfolds in a pastoral setting, with the hunter displaying his game birds while his hunting dog sits attentively at his feet. The composition exemplifies the genre painting tradition of 18th-century France, capturing a moment of everyday commerce between different social classes with warmth and narrative detail.

The painting demonstrates the characteristic qualities of French Rococo genre scenes: careful attention to costume and gesture, a gentle narrative quality, and skillful rendering of textures from the hunter's rough clothing to the gentleman's fine fabrics. The atmospheric landscape background and the inclusion of the faithful hunting dog add depth and authenticity to this slice of 18th-century rural life.

About the Artist

Nicolas Gresly (1721-1799) was a French painter active during the 18th century, working primarily in genre scenes and portraits. He was the brother of the more widely known Gaspard Gresly (1712-1756), also a painter of genre subjects. Nicolas is known to have created copies and variations of his brother's compositions, continuing Gaspard's artistic legacy after his death in 1756.

The Gresly brothers worked during the height of French Rococo painting, when genre scenes depicting everyday life, hunting subjects, and interactions between different social classes were highly popular among collectors. Their works reflect the influence of earlier Dutch and Flemish genre painters while maintaining a distinctly French sensibility in composition and color.

Nicolas Gresly's paintings are characterized by their narrative clarity, attention to costume and detail, and ability to capture the social dynamics of 18th-century French life. His works provide valuable documentation of rural customs, clothing, and social interactions during the ancien régime period.

Historical Context

This painting was created during the mid-18th century, a period when genre scenes depicting hunting and rural commerce were particularly fashionable in French art. Such works appealed to aristocratic collectors who romanticized rural life while also documenting the social hierarchies and economic relationships of the period. The negotiation scene between hunter and gentleman reflects the complex social structures of pre-Revolutionary France.

Technical Details

Artist: Nicolas Gresly (1721-1799)
Date: c.1750
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Good condition
Dimensions: 77 x 62 cm / 30¼ x 24½ in
Frame: 96 x 83 cm / 37¾ x 32¾ in. Gilt wood and stucco, very good condition
Origin: France
Note: After compositions by Gaspard Gresly (1712-1756)

A fine example of French Rococo genre painting depicting 18th-century rural commerce.