Dogs in art: multiple points of view

Céline Ouimet, The Encounter, 2021. Oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm.

Are you sure you know everything about dogs?

It is now known that, among the major phenomena that developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was also that of the "pandemic puppy". If you've gotten one, it's a safe bet that your life has now been enriched with a huge amount of cuddles and affection! But now that you have become a dog lover, are you sure you know everything about their great role in the history of art? In fact, this very animal, living symbol of protection, loyalty and unconditional love, has been the most represented within the figurative arts, in which it has appeared since the most remote cave representations. Subsequently, and throughout almost all of human history, dogs have continued to be, as well as guardians, helpers and companions, real muses, becoming the subjects of iconic paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and monumental works.

James Shang, Portrait pet dog 001. Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.

Ac1, Boy with dog, 2018. Acrylic / spray paint / stencil on canvas, 100 x 110 cm. 

Dogs in art: multiple points of view

The history of the dog in art begins a long time ago, when, in the caves and tombs of the Bronze Age, they were the protagonists of drawings, statues, children's toys and ceramic models. Later, in the Egyptian, Greek and Roman worlds, these animals, seen as faithful and courageous guides, guardians of the precious link between our physical world and the afterlife, appeared frequently in paintings and reliefs. Within the Greek civilization, these latters, frequently immortalized on vases, were appreciated for their fidelity, just like the dog Argo in the Odyssey, the only character who was able to recognize his master after long years of waiting. In the Roman world, instead, there were three types of dogs: the hunting ones, that is the hounds, the guard dogs, such as the Neapolitan mastiff and the toy ones, which, like the Maltese, were mainly used to keep women company. As for the history of art, however, only the first two breeds were widely immortalized, because, being useful in battles and hunting, they were more appreciated. In fact, an example of what has been said, is the mosaic of Pompeii dating back to about the first century BC, which, found in the House of the Tragic Poet, immortalizes, along with the inscription "Cave Canem" (beware of the dog), the precious guardian of the house. During the Middle Ages, dogs were always considered a symbol of fidelity and loyalty, so much so that on many occasions they accompanied paintings of married couples, just as in the popular Arnolfini portrait by Jan van Eyck (1434). In addition, however, always in this same period, this animal also appeared in two other contexts: in the portraits of widows, representing the symbol of fidelity to the deceased husband, and in stone sculptures, in order to praise the conjugal constancy of the dead person. As far as hunting scenes are concerned, on the other hand, medieval art used to depict images of men with their dogs, in order to give a tangible demonstration of the high social position of the owner, intent on performing a purely aristocratic amusement.

The "Cave canem" mosaic in the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii. @__crypto__

Jan van Eyck, Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Arnolfini, 1434. Oil on panel, 82 cm x 60 cm. London: National Gallery. @fineartcatalog

In spite of the importance that dogs had in the centuries treated so far, their presence within the figurative arts was further affirmed during the Renaissance. In fact, they often appeared in the portraits of Italian aristocrats, pursuing the aim of symbolizing their wealth. An example of what has been said is one of Mantegna's frescoes, which, painted inside the Camera Picta in Mantua, immortalizes Marquis Ludovico di Gonzaga with Rubino, his favorite dog, comfortably lying under his chair. Also for Titian, another great master of the Italian Renaissance, these animals represented an important subject, just like the painting that immortalizes Clarissa Strozzi in the company of her faithful Papillon (1542).

Titian, Portrait of Clarissa Strozzi, 1542. Oil on canvas, 115 × 98 cm. Berlin: Gemäldegalerie museum. @guyboyer58

Cassius Marcellus, A Friend in Need, 1903. @dionisioarte

Jeff Koons, Baloon dog (red), 1994-2000. Mirror-polished stainless steel with clear coat, 307.3 x 363.2 x 114.3 cm. Private collection. @agnese_montanari

As for the 16th and 17th centuries, during this period dogs were mostly immortalized in hunting scenes or in the lap of their ladies. It should be underlined that it was only from the 18th century onwards that fully fledged portraits of dogs were strongly affirmed, that is, having as subject only the animal. This can be seen in the dog Bob, famous Newfoundland rescuer, immortalized by Edwin Landseer in the painting A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society (1831). During the twentieth century, this mode of representation was further affirmed, so much so that these animals appeared in new and unprecedented contexts, just as in the iconic painting by Cassius Marcellus, A Friend in Need (1903), where humanized dogs are intent on playing cards with each other. In addition, other famous masters of the twentieth century innovatively immortalized these animals, including Pablo Picasso, Giacomo Balla, Francis Bacon and Keith Haring. Finally, man's faithful friend continues to be a popular subject in contemporary art as well, as demonstrated, for example, by the work of Jeff Koons and the artists of Artmajeur.

Igor Skaletsky, Girl on dog, 2015. Acrylic/collage on canvas, 100 x 110 cm.

Igor Skaletsky: Girl on dog

The realist painting of the artist from Artmajeur, Igor Skaletsky, proposes an atmosphere, with subjects and elegance, almost "Renaissance", in which, in a contemporary bucolic context, a sweet "love story" is consummated. In this environment, quiet and secluded, the protagonists of the work enjoy each other's presence, feeling a silent transport that leads them to look in the same direction. This painting could be compared, for the subjects depicted and their complicity, to A Young Girl with Her Dog by Herkomer Sir Hubert von (circa 1910). Unlike the latter, however, in the Artmajeur artist's painting the bond between dog and master becomes even more intense and close, since the girl, as per the title, is literally sitting on her pet.

Ilya Volykhine, Glitter, 2018. Oil on canvas, 120 x 120 cm.

Ilya Volykhine: Glitter

In the oil painting of Ilya Volykhine, artist of Artmajeur, realism gives way to a personal, creative and unique vision of reality, which generates a new version of the Dalmatian dog breed, enriched by new and funny colored spots. This very personal point of view brings forward, in a completely original way, a twentieth-century vision of the world, to which have adhered, for example, masters such as Paul Gauguin, who, in Still Life with Three Puppies (1888), gave us his personal interpretation of the dog. Therefore, Glitter's figurative research, akin to the highest artistic experimentation, has generated a rare and joyful four-legged specimen, which finds its place within our imagination.

Tomasa Martin, I'm passing by there, 2021. Oil and acrylic on linen canvas, 40 x 40 cm.

Tomasa Martin: I'm passing by there

The green background, and indefinite, on which stand out only the two protagonists of the scene and their shadows, distinguishes the painting of Artmajeur artist, Tomasa Martin, which represents a snapshot of our time. In fact, the work immortalizes a girl, who, walking alone, and with her head down, totally reflects the modern sense of isolation. This loneliness, however, is partly swept away by the presence of a friendly, sweet and faithful four-legged friend, who, intent on following his mistress, is only happy to be in her company. Therefore, the painting brings out all the privileges of life as a dog, among which, there is certainly that of not understanding the world of humans.

Turgut Aygün, African dog’s ‘dancers’, 2019. Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 140 cm.

Turgut Aygün: African dog’s ‘dancers’

The joy and light-heartedness of the animal world, captured right at its peak, was captured by the painting of the Artmajeur artist, Turgut Aygün, entitled African dog's 'dancers'. This work is reminiscent in its colors, and in the circular movement of its protagonists, of Henri Matisse's Dance, an undisputed masterpiece of the art world, dated 1910. If, however, in the iconic painting of the French master the dance appears studied and more controlled, in that of Aygün it is literally instinctive, primitive and wild, surely guided by that great joy that often animates, sometimes almost without reason, the mood of our dearest furry friends.