Jean-Baptiste Deshays

Jean-Baptiste Deshays was an artist active during the mid-eighteenth century, with documented works spanning the period from 1740 through 1758. The verifiable scope of his surviving output consists primarily of drawings and preparatory studies.

The artist’s work is held in significant American institutions, establishing his presence in historical collections. Ten drawings attributed to Deshays are currently represented in museum collections, notably the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA) and the National Gallery of Art (NGA).

The subjects demonstrate a range of interests, encompassing figure studies, classical mythology, and landscape compositions. Key works represented in collections include the figure study Half Figure of a Man, Nude to the Waist and the observational piece A Man Drawing. Deshays also explored narrative and pastoral themes, exemplified by the historical depiction Phryne Before the Areopagus, the landscape Herdsmen Driving Cattle across a Stream, and the allegorical scene Shepherds Dreaming of the Flight into Egypt.

Due to the age of the original artifacts, documentation, including Jean-Baptiste Deshays prints and studies, often resides in the public domain. These resources allow researchers and collectors access to high-quality prints and downloadable artwork derived from the original museum-quality pieces held in these collections.