Zaza, the dog 1730

Jean-Baptiste Oudry painted Zaza, the dog, in France, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. In those days, the Royal Academy dominated the art world, dictating what was considered good taste. Oudry was himself a professor at the Academy, and he made a career out of animal paintings like this one. But there’s more to this picture than initially meets the eye. This isn’t just any dog; it’s a pampered pet, as indicated by its fancy collar and trimmed fur. The parrot, an exotic import, symbolizes wealth and global trade, and the dog, as well, becomes an extension of its owner’s status. Oudry had a naturalistic style, but he may have also had a gift for social commentary. He also painted these kinds of pictures for wealthy patrons who, like the dog in this painting, were themselves objects of envy and perhaps even criticism. To understand Oudry’s paintings better, one can turn to historical documents, such as letters and financial records, to get a sense of the social and economic context in which he was working. Art is never created in a vacuum, and its meaning is always shaped by the world around it.