Interior of a Theatre with Spectators

Artist Jean-Baptiste Oudry (French, 1686-1755)

Datec. 1718-25

MediumPen and black in with brush and black wash, heightened with white gouache on blue laid paper

DimensionsIMAGE: 12 5/8 x 18 1/4 in. (32.1 x 46.3 cm)
FRAMED: 29 1/2 x 33 9/16 in. (74.9 x 85.2 cm)

ClassificationsDrawings

Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1952

Object numberSN662

Principally a still-life and animal painter, here Jean-Baptiste Oudry renders a scene from the seventeenth-century French burlesque comedy, Roman comique (1651-7). The subject shows the dramatic aftermath of a comical confrontation in which Ragotin, one of the main characters, has fallen during the middle of a theatrical performance, causing the action on stage to cease and all focus to be turned to him. Executed almost entirely in wash with very little delineation of the pen, this free drawing serves as an intermediary stage between the painting it copies (Le Mans, Musée du Mans) and the more highly finished chalk drawing intended (but never executed) for print. The sketchy and summary quality of the Ringling sheet indicates the speed with which it was completed. The combination of black wash with white gouache highlights likewise heightens the lighting effects to reflect the dynamism of the lively scene.

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