Monique de Rothschild is one of the most famous French huntsman. She created a staghunt in the Compiegne's forest, in the north of Paris. I met her in Chambord during the Saint Hubert mass. In the afternoon, one her hounds was declared "best in show". She was very proud of this award and between two bubbles of Champagne, she invited me to come at her home and gave me a commission to paint him.

We were in july and it has not been raining for weeks. The sun was terribly hot. After a few static photographies of her hounds, I asked Monique de Rothschild if it was possible to have her pack of staghounds in movement.
Her whipper-in brought the hounds at the end of a field and she walked to the opposite corner. I was lying on the ground in the middle. When Monique called them, her hounds came galloping in a dust cloud. They ran and jumped over me.
At that exact instant, I was not so proud

In this watercolour, my aim was to try to show the heath and the dust of this summer day.
Just two colours in this camaieu, indigo and ochre. I painted the hounds first before to paint the background wet on wet.