Known for her animalier (animal-focused) art, Marie Calvès’ specialty was the rendering of dogs. This beautiful oil painting, entitled The Beginning of the Hunt, depicts a quartet of Springer Spaniels in a lush, verdant field, patiently waiting for the rest of the hunting party. In the background, a rider on a gray horse approaches with five more dogs in tow. Autumn is in full swing, as evidenced by the leaves of brown, red, and yellow that can be seen on the thinning limbs in the forest behind the dogs. The sky overhead is blue and devoid of any clouds. Surrounded by a giltwood frame patterned with lozenge ground and carvings of furled leaves, the painting is a must-have for any hunter or dog-lover.

Marie-Didière Calvès was born in 1883 in Paris. Calves was a child prodigy, having been awarded a bronze medal at the prestigious Salon des Artistes Français at the tender age of 12. The daughter of painter Léon Georges Calvès, Marie studied under her father as well as Léon Salles and Léon Barillot, who inspired her utilization of rural landscapes.

CONDITION: Good antique condition. Pinprick to the canvas. Minor separations to gilt frame. Minimal losses to gilding, with old touchups. Very light nicks and rubs. Not rigged for hanging. Signed in the lower right.