The Stag Hunt (La Chasse au Cerf)
Textile, Jacquard woven tapestry panel mounted in a carved giltwood frame • Likely French or Belgian manufacture (Aubusson or Mechelen style), after 18th-century designs by Jean-Baptiste Oudry or similar court painters
Style & Movement
Rococo Revival / Louis XV Provincial style
Medium & Technique
Mechanically woven cotton and mercerized wool yarns (Jacquard loom technique) imitating XVIII century hand-woven tapestries
Creation Period
Late 19th to early 20th century (Belle Époque Period)
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 120cm x 80cm (landscape orientation), large format wall decorative panel
Subject Description
A narrative pastoral hunting scene featuring noble figures in 18th-century frock coats and tricorn hats. In the foreground, huntsmen handle leashed hounds; in the middle ground, a horse-drawn carriage and mounted hunters move through a wooded landscape toward a distant castle on a hill. The iconography evokes the aristocratic pursuit of 'La Chasse'.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good to Very Good; slight fading of the warmer pigments (pinks and reds) and minor surface dust on the textile grain
Estimated Market Value
$1,200 - $2,500 (inclusive of frame)
Auction Estimate
$800 - $1,500
Provenance History
Likely produced for the upper-middle-class European market as a domestic furnishing; traditionally found in formal dining rooms or manorial studies
Art Historical Significance
A significant example of the industrialization of luxury goods in the 19th century, where the Jacquard loom allowed for the mass reproduction of complex aristocratic symbols previously reserved for royalty and highest nobility.
Notable Features
The use of a muted, tonal palette (Verdure style) allows the piece to integrate easily into interior design; the frame features high-relief acanthus leaf and scrolling motifs characteristic of the Second Empire style.
Condition Issues
Notable fading of the original fugitive dyes due to UV exposure; some potential structural tension at the staples where the textile meets the stretcher; minor gilding loss on the frame edges.
Conservation Recommendations
Professional vacuuming through a mesh screen to remove particulate matter; display away from direct sunlight; ensure a humidity-controlled environment to prevent fiber brittleness.