Alexandre-François DESPORTES (Champigneulles, 1661 - Paris, - Lot 42

Alexandre-François DESPORTES (Champigneulles, 1661 - Paris, 1743) The discontented cat. Canvas. Height : 116 cm Width : 146 cm Signed and dated right Desportes 1718 Old restorations Provenance : - Château de Montecler, probably commissioned by the Marquis de Montecler ; - then by descent in the same family to this day. Unpublished, our painting is related to two studies on paper: a study of four kittens (private collection), for which the one on the left seems to have been used for our composition (1); a study of pheasants and red partridge (Paris, Musée de la chasse et de la nature), for which the pheasant is directly taken from our painting (2). A painting of a similar subject by Desportes entitled "Chien et chat", signed, was sold at Dhios on 12/13/1860, lot no. 47 ( Pierre Jacky and Georges de Lastic, Desportes, Catalogue raisonné, Saint-Rémi-En-l'Eau, éditions Monelle Hayot, 2010, p. 303 no. PM189). (1) Jacky P531, p.136; (2) Jacky P264, p.63.