The Boar Hunt
Artist: Joseph Parrocel (French, 1646 - 1704)
Original Dimensions: 42 7/8" x 41"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (About 1700) "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." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

Panel content
Panel content