Draagkoets met paarden valt in het water 1696 - 1755

Jean-Baptiste Oudry created this print, "Draagkoets met paarden valt in het water," with etching techniques. Notice how the composition is structured around a dramatic diagonal that plunges from the upper left to the lower right. This dynamic line is formed by the capsizing carriage and the frantic movements of the figures. The artist uses stark contrasts of light and shadow to emphasize the chaos of the scene, drawing our eye to the central moment of crisis. Oudry masterfully employs line to convey texture and movement, capturing the horses’ struggle and the figures’ disarray. The scene destabilizes the decorum typical of courtly life, suggesting an underlying tension between order and chaos. Oudry’s print, through its formal elements, thus critiques the artifice of social structures.