Sketches of a Kitten

Alexandre-François Desportes painted hunting dogs, game and still lifes for the French court. His dogs are lively and individual, his dead game and fruit are painted with rich texture, and his compositions often place animals in lush garden or park settings. He was born in Champigneulle, in the Ardennes, in 1661. After working as a portraitist in Poland, where he painted King John III Sobieski, he returned to Paris and specialised in animals. He joined the Académie in 1699, presenting his Self-Portrait in Hunting Dress, now in the Louvre. He became the official painter of the royal hunts under Louis XIV and Louis XV, followed the hunts with a sketchbook, and painted portraits of the kings’ favourite hounds. Dog Guarding Game near a Rosebush and A Dog and a Cat Fighting in a Kitchen Interior show both his animal energy and his skill with still life. He died in Paris in 1743.