"The Laugher and the Fishes" after Charles-Nicolas Cochin (1715-1790 Paris)

Bears two unlisted collector's stamps, one on its obverse and a second on the reverse "JdeM".
Bibliography:
H.N.Opperman, "Jean-Baptiste Oudry," Chicago 1977, vol.I, pp.99-101, vol.II, p.703, cat #D413.
H.N.Opperman, Exhibition " Jean-Baptiste Oudry ", Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris 1982,
pp.157-9.
Emmanuelle Brugerolles, " Les dessins de la collection Armand- Valton, la donation d'un grand
collector of the XIXth century to the École des Beaux-Arts." Paris, 1984.pp.225-226 n°282.
Works in connection :
-Drawing by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, private collection, USA. -Drawing by Charles-Nicolas Cochin, Paris, Ensba, n°EBA 696. -Engraving by Pierre-François Tardieu (1711-1771) after Jean-Baptiste Oudry.
Subject : From the Fables of La Fontaine, new edition in folio, published in the years 1755- 1759, (La Fontaine
1759, (La Fontaine, fables choisies mises en vers, Paris, ed.Desaint et Saillant).

A laugher was at table
-Of a financier, and had in his corner
-Only small fish; all the big ones were far away. - He thus takes the menus, then speaks to them with the ear.
-And then he pretends to listen to their answer