Dogs have been around people for a very long time. It is believed that we domesticated dogs more than 30.000 years ago. That means we’ve had dogs before we’ve had cows or horses. Being side by side with people, hunting with us, guarding our homes, warming us in cold Siberian winter nights or just playing fetch – all of it made a huge impact on our limbic system. We started to value dogs more than just a helping hand (paw). We started to love them, respect, and get inspired by them. And what better way to express your admiration or love for these four-legged wonders than to immortalize them on canvas. There are numerous paintings depicting dogs, but these eleven are my personal favorite, for various reasons.
1. Poker Game by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
Poker Game is not just one painting, it is a series of paintings done by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge in 1894, 1903, and 1910. These paintings have become legendary. They have become an inspiration for other artists, TV shows, cartoons, and… memes. The first oil on canvas, Poker Game was made in 1894 and shows four large dogs playing poker, smoking, drinking – acting as people would. There is something about anthropomorphization of the dogs, the coloring, the tone and warmth of the colors that make this painting so different. Pay attention to the dog’s eyes. They tell the whole array of emotions, just like we know dogs do in real life. Not just in a painting.
2. Itzcuintli Dog With Me by Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo had many pets. Monkeys, birds, deer, and of course, dogs. Her pets were often the main theme of her paintings, and you can find many paintings of her and her dogs. However, this one drew my attention. Is it because the dog is so small and yet the viewers’ whole focus is on the dog? It fits perfectly with the overall mood. Now, the mood you feel watching this painting depends on you and you alone, so I won’t tell you what to feel. I can tell you what I see: Frida being her-unique-self sitting on a normal day, with her small Xoloitzcuintli dog curiously looking at us, acting all tough with a curious stance. I can already hear myself asking, “Can I pet your dog?” even though I shouldn’t.
3. The Dog by Francisco Goya
This is a painting done by Francisco Goya in his 70s (between 1819 and 1823) when he was suffering from both mental and physical distress. He was alone in his house, painting directly onto the walls. Because of his darker state of mind, the last paintings done in this house were named the Black Paintings. One of them is The Dog. It shows just a dog’s head. The dog is looking upward with its body hidden by a brown slope. The majority of the painting is an orange-brownish sky (?). It looks simple, and I have heard people say “I could do that.” But it’s what it can transfer back to the viewer that matters. The loneliness, hopelessness, surrender… Not very bright and jolly thoughts, but life has to be accepted with both sides of the coin.
4. Femme au Chien by Pablo Picasso
If you don’t like cubism, skip this one. Pablo Picasso was the pioneer of this style and it can be seen in his painting Femme au Chien, or Woman with dog in English. In this painting, we can see his second wife Jacqueline Roque and their Afghan Hound dog – Kaboul. The painting was made in 1962 and Picasso used oil on canvas. Pablo really loved his dogs and he has many paintings of them. This one however, shows Picasso’s style and yet shows the Afghan Hound traits perfectly. The long snout, legs, and fur. It looks childish and ridiculous until you get a look at a real Afghan and you go, “Oh, I see it…”
5. The White Dog by Franz Marc
The full name of this painting is The White Dog In Front Of The World (Der weiße Hund vor der Welt). It was made in 1912 by an expressionist artist called Franz Marc. It is an oil painting showing a big white dog, which looks like a Large Guardian Dog, with its back turned looking at the world – at the mountains, hills, and the trees. I see a guardian dog doing what they do best – guarding. But, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, not just the beauty but the meaning too. That’s why art is so wonderful. We all see what we want to see. Unless it is specified by an artist, see whatever you want and feel whatever you want.
6. Julie Manet and Her Greyhound Laerte by Berthe Morisot
Berthe Morisot was a French impressionist painter. She painted her daughter, Julie, with her greyhound in this painting in 1893 using oil on canvas as a medium. Typical of impressionism, you can see the brush strokes. The colors are bright, apart from Julie’s dress. And, the perfect fit in all of the brush strokes is a Greyhound. Now, I don’t know whether it’s a young Greyhound or a Whippet, but it is undeniably perfectly portrayed with the slender body and tail tucked under.
7. A Couple of Foxhounds by George Stubbs
George Stubbs was an English painter who predominantly painted horses. But, what goes well with horses? A couple of Foxhounds. He used oil on canvas to paint two adult Foxhounds in 1792, one male, one female. Stubbs belonged to the Romanticism movement. The strokes are clear with no smudge or broken lines. It’s a true work of art. I’ve always admired the anatomical precision in more realistic painting styles. While romanticism is using ideals to depict the subjects, when it comes to these two Foxhounds, I love how well and detailed the dogs are. From their paws to the texture of their fur.
8. Pride Of Parenthood by Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell was an American painter. He also illustrated The Saturday Evening Post magazine for almost fifty years. If his work, Pride of Parenthood, looks familiar in style, it is because he was also commissioned to illustrate the books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The Pride of Parenthood (1958) is one sheet out of four, showing a boy with his dog(s). When you combine all four pieces, you get a story in which a boy finds out his dog is not sick, but has puppies. This has to be one of the sweetest watercolor paintings. Innocence, love, and loyalty (from both sides, the boys and the dogs).
9. A Jack In Office by Sir Edwin Landseer
Sir Edwin Landseer used oil on canvas to paint a satire around the year of 1833, that could be very well used today too. It shows a very well fed dog (read – obese) who’s sitting above all other dogs, looking down on them. The other dogs can’t get the food because all of it goes to Jack in the office. You see the connection between government, “important” people, privilege, and ordinary people. It doesn’t have to be food, it could be anything. Healthcare? Opportunities? Not a lot has changed since Sir Edwin’s A Jack in Office.
10. King Charles Spaniel by Edouard Manet
This is a painting of a dog made around 1866 by a French artist called Edouard Manet. It is oil on canvas and just like the title says, it is a painting of a King Charles Spaniel. You can see the big black eyes, nose, the fluffy ears, and the lovely dog bed the subject sits in. There’s a dog ball next to the dog as well. The entire painting gives the impression of a well-cared-for dog. A happy little dog with gorgeous eyes. Edouard Manet was a modernist painter and this particular painting is in impressionistic style.
11. Two Hounds by Jacopo Bassano
The Two Hounds was painted by an Italian painter Jacopo Bassano (Jacopo dal Ponte) in 1548. This artist often painted animals, intertwining religious themes in his work. However, in this case, we see two dogs (hound dogs) painted in a style called Mannerism. It’s elegant and sophisticated. Interestingly, one of the dogs (the one lying on the ground) is copied by Tintoretto in his painting called Christ Washing His Disciples’ Feet. You can see that photo as well below.
Final Thoughts
These are just eleven personal favorites, gathered in no particular order. When we talk about art, I cannot say these are the 11 best paintings. It is all subjective, as it should be. There are so many paintings of dogs, old and modern, it is impossible to talk about them all. Some draw us in because of the feeling they evoke in us while others simply look beautiful. Whatever the case is, these paintings survived decades or even hundreds of years (depending on the painting) and are still considered great works of art. But you know what? That photo you took this morning of your dog can be equally important – to you. And, that’s what matters in the end.
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Cover photo by Jeffrey Bonto
