Ragotin enivré par La Rancune

Ragotin enivré par La Rancune

Artwork Type: Drawing

Artwork Description: The artwork is titled "Ragotin enivré par La Rancune" and is a drawing by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, created in 1726. It measures 0.327 x 0.28 meters and is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The drawing depicts a scene from a play by Molière, in which the character Ragotin is tricked into drinking a powerful laxative by his rival, La Rancune. The scene is set in a bedroom, with Ragotin seated on a chair and La Rancune standing over him, holding a bottle. A woman, possibly Ragotin's wife, looks on in horror.

Artwork Date: 1726

Author Name: Jean-Baptiste Oudry

Institution Name: National Gallery of Art

Artwork Size: 0.327 meters x 0.28 meters

The drawing is rendered in black chalk with gray wash, heightened with white chalk, on gray paper. It depicts a dimly lit bedroom with a fireplace on the left and a canopied bed on the right. Three figures are arranged in the room, their expressions and gestures suggesting a moment of high drama.

A man in a tricorne hat, presumably Ragotin, is slumped on a chair, his body angled awkwardly as if overcome by a sudden ailment. He clutches a handkerchief in his right hand. Standing over him is another man, likely La Rancune, who gestures towards Ragotin with his left hand while holding what appears to be a bottle in his right. His face is turned away, but his posture suggests a mix of triumph and amusement.

To the left, a woman in a long dress raises her hands in alarm, her face contorted in a mixture of concern and disgust. The interplay of light and shadow emphasizes the dramatic tension of the scene, while the detailed rendering of the figures and their surroundings adds a sense of realism.