View in the Gardens of Arcueil 1744

Jean-Baptiste Oudry rendered "View in the Gardens of Arcueil" in graphite and stumping on cream laid paper during a period when France was under the aristocratic rule of Louis XV. Oudry, a man of the bourgeois class, gained prominence for his naturalistic depictions of animals and landscapes, a style which catered to the tastes of the aristocracy. This drawing, displaying a tranquil garden scene, invites us to consider the concept of leisure and privilege. The garden, with its manicured lawns and orderly arrangements, reflects a human desire to control and shape nature. But consider for whom this space was designed, who maintained it, and who was excluded from it. The image seems to hold an implicit class dimension, highlighting the division between those who enjoyed the beauty and those who labored to create it. The drawing reminds us of the complex layers of society, where beauty and privilege coexist with labor and exclusion.