Maurice Taquoy (1878–1952) – Portrait of a falconer and his hawk

Maurice TAQUOY (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ 1878 – Paris 1952)
Portrait of a falconer and his hawk
Gouache
H. 22 cm; W. 20 cm (frame: 46 × 36 cm)
Signed lower left, dated 1924

An accomplished horseman, Maurice Taquoy had a deep love of the countryside. With the same enthusiasm, he turned to painting, studying at the Académie Julian in Paris. He pursued a highly diverse artistic career, spanning many disciplines. His friend, the artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel (1881–1949), taught him the technique of colour engraving and shared an exhibition with him in 1909. This technique enabled Taquoy to produce luminous and elegant engravings of his favourite subjects: horse racing and hunting, as well as Parisian society and fashion.

He also worked as an illustrator for La Vie Parisienne and the prestigious fashion magazine Gazette du Bon Ton.

Throughout his career, Taquoy exhibited his paintings at the Salon d’Automne, the Salon des Indépendants and the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He also enjoyed considerable success in Paris at numerous exhibitions, and was warmly praised by critics during his second solo show at Galerie Manzi in 1913.

He created luxury items for the Maison Hermès, including saddles, dresses, scarves and trunks.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Taquoy was engaged as a war artist. During this period he photographed the French army in the Marne and Champagne, images that are now preserved at the Musée des Invalides in Paris.

After the war, throughout the 1920s and 1930s, he continued to exhibit with great success in many Parisian galleries. In July 1931, he also produced a portfolio of gouaches depicting automobile racing scenes at Newmarket.

Later, during the Second World War, he painted a series of illustrations of daily life in occupied Paris. In 1949, he exhibited a set of twenty works devoted exclusively to horse racing. This was his final exhibition before his death in 1952.

The subject of our gouache appears to be unique within Taquoy’s œuvre, depicting a hunter holding a bird of prey, most likely a falcon. The scene takes place in England (as suggested by the riders in red hunting coats in the background), and several birds of prey seem to be used for the hunt, as indicated by the handler standing behind the central figure.