Original works of art

Born in 1831, de Penne was a student of Leon Cogniet and of Charles Jacque. De Penne’s initial success was a result of his painting, Jesus and the Samaritan, for which he won a Prix de Rome. He soon abandoned this subject matter, however, and devoted himself to painting dogs and landscapes. He was equally adept in watercolors as in oils.

De Penne frequented the forests of Broceliande where he placed virtually all his dog and hunting scenes. He liked hunting dogs best, for as Eugene Montrosier, writing in 1887 of de Penne's watercolors, pointed out, "He knows his dogs so well that his paintings are really illustrious portraits. Each of them which he has projected upon the canvas, in oil or watercolor, are from a proud line and their lineage is often more authentic that the lineage of those they serve.”

De Penne is best known for his portrayals of French hounds, preparing for the hunt, is resting after the hunt. He executed a number of large paintings, but his smaller portraits of two or three hunting dogs, resting by a tree in the forest of Barbizon, have been synonymous with his name. They are characterized by a deep understanding of anatomy and a painterly brush stroke, ideally suited to creating rich, atmospheric effects so closely associated with the work of the Barbizon School.