Full title | The Boar Hunt |
---|---|
Artist | Joseph Parrocel |
Artist dates | 1646 - 1704 |
Series | Two Hunting Scenes |
Date made | about 1700 |
Medium and support | Oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 109 x 104.1 cm |
Acquisition credit | Bought, 1982 |
Inventory number | NG6473 |
Location | Not on display |
Collection | Main Collection |
The terrified boar is surrounded on all sides by riders on horseback and men on foot with spears. This moment has been chosen for dramatic effect: the boar is trapped and about to be killed. The rearing horses and snarling dogs add to the intensity of the action. Forced into a narrow space, animals and people collide; one dog has been knocked to the ground. The loose, visible brushstrokes create a feeling of hurried movement.
Hunting was a common pursuit for the wealthy in seventeenth-century France. The figures on horseback enjoy the chase rather than directly participate in the act of killing: the male figure on the grey horse raises his sword in triumph and behind him another blows a bugle. Two women watch from their horses; one holds a spear imitating those of the men on the ground.
The painting’s companion, The Return from the Hunt, is also in the National Gallery.
The terrified boar is surrounded on all sides by riders on horseback and men on foot with spears. This moment has been chosen for dramatic effect: the fleeing boar is trapped and about to be killed. The rearing horses and snarling dogs add to the intensity of the action. Forced into a narrow space, animals and people collide into one another; a dog has been knocked to the ground. The loose, visible brushstrokes create a feeling of hurried movement.
Hunting was a common pursuit of the wealthy in seventeenth-century France. The figures on horseback enjoy the chase rather than directly participate in the act of killing, which is being carried out by the men on the ground. The male figure on the grey horse raises his sword in triumph; his costume is appropriately theatrical in style. Behind him a man blows a bugle, a type of horn. Two woman in elegant seventeenth-century dress and riding side-saddle watch from their horses. One of them holds a spear, imitating those held by men attacking the wounded animal.
Parrocel was surely influenced by earlier hunting scenes, such as Wolf and Fox Hunt (Metropolitan Museum, New York), painted in about 1642 by Peter Paul Rubens. His influence can be seen in the bright colouring and lively brushwork, and the twisted positions of the rearing horses. The men surrounding the boar with spears in Parrocel’s painting are similar to those in Antonio Tempesta’s (1555–1630) A Boar Hunt (Royal Collection, London) of about 1608/12. Parrocel’s training in Rome with Jacques Courtois, the leading battle painter of the seventeenth century, was also good preparation for the complex scenes featuring figures and animals that he produced in the 1660s and 1670s.
The painting’s companion, The Return from the Hunt is also owned by the National Gallery. This is more playful and light-hearted, and shows the influence of Dutch scenes of everyday life. The pair were painted in around 1700 and were intended to be hung together.
Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.
License and download a high-resolution image for reproductions up to A3 size from the National Gallery Picture Library.
License imageThis image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.
Examples of non-commercial use are:
- Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
- Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media
The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.
As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.
You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.
Two Hunting Scenes
These two paintings, which were made as companion works to hang together, show the moments during and after a gallant hunt for wild animals. The Boar Hunt, a scene of suspense, drama and movement, can be seen as a nod to the aristocratic hunting scenes painted by Dutch artists in the second half of the seventeenth century. It is paired with The Return from the Hunt, which is altogether more peaceful and is closer in spirit to the fêtes galantes of Parrocel’s near-contemporary, Jean-Antoine Watteau, which show elegantly costumed figures in parkland settings.
Parrocel mainly painted battle scenes, particularly the military conquests of the French King Louis XIV, as well as hunting subjects, many of which were royal commissions. The Boar Hunt and The Return from the Hunt were painted in about 1700, probably for the King, who gave them to his son, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, the Count of Toulouse. They have magnificent frames decorated with carved animal heads, which were probably made around the same time.
These two paintings, which were made as companion works to hang together, show the moments during and after a gallant hunt for wild animals. The Boar Hunt, a scene of suspense, drama and movement is paired with The Return from the Hunt which is altogether more peaceful and romantic.
Parrocel mainly painted battle scenes, particularly the military conquests of King Louis XIV of France, as well as hunting subjects, many of which were royal commissions. He decorated the walls of the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, as well as the palaces at Marly and Versailles. The leading artist of the day, Charles Le Brun, also explored these subjects. Parrocel would have had ample opportunity to study Le Brun’s work throughout his career.
The Boar Hunt can be seen as a nod to the aristocratic hunting scenes of Dutch painters during the second half of the seventeenth century, such as Jan de Lagoor’s A Woody Landscape with a Stag Hunt, and Jan Hackaert’s and Nicolaes Berchem’s A Stag Hunt in the Forest.
The Return from the Hunt is nearer in spirit to a fête galante, a type of painting that was made very popular in early eighteenth-century France by Parrocel’s near-contemporary, Jean-Antoine Watteau. With its elegantly attired figures, loose brushwork and beautiful rich colours, The Return from the Hunt also owes a debt to Peter Paul Rubens.
Parrocel’s pictures were painted in about 1700, probably for Louis XIV, who gave them to his son, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, the Count of Toulouse. They have magnificent frames decorated with carved animal heads, which were probably made especially for them as they date from around the same time as Parrocel painted these works.


More paintings by Joseph Parrocel
