Fortunately for us, the members of the royal and noble families
of Spain were particularly attached to dogs, especially toy
dogs. Many of the famous painters of the time painted family
portraits which included their dogs. Works by Velasquez, Murillo
and Goya in particular painted portraits of royal families and
their dogs, many of them being, “toy dogs.” Painting below is by Velasquez having a larger dog.
The walls of Prado in Madrid are covered by portrait after
portrait of dogs and their families or just dogs alone
beautifully painted. Anyone very interested in dogs would
certainly enjoy the experience of surveying the walls of Prado.
Numerous dogs have served as models for sculpture of all sorts
as well.
The Prado has one of the best collections of art in the world.
The fine paintings are not Spanish, nor are they paintings of
the Spanish scene or family. The walls of Prado tell a story of
European history in picture form. One typical example is a
portrait painted by Jan Brueghel de Velours. The painting is of
the interior of a collector’s room, painted in 1617. The artist
included a tiny toy spaniel confronting a monkey in the
foreground of the painting.
In this same painting there is a small white woolly dog which
could be a bichon or a Maltese terrier sitting quietly
underneath a table just watching what is going on but taking no
part.
Artists have always been the recorders of their own times. The
artists tell us something about the dogs that are still with us
as well as about those that appear to have been lost to us
today. In one of Tiziano’s paintings done earlier than de
Velours, he included a dog that if the animal existed today,
would be a glamorous-looking, long-haired Italian greyhound. One
has to wonder, however, did this dog truly exist during that
time or was this only in the mind of the painter.
The Italian greyhound was a favorite at court in both Spain and
Italy centuries ago and appears frequently in paintings in the
Prado. It has been noted that much to one’s surprise in one case
the Italian Greyhound is painted with its ears cropped. This was
quite unusual. Pugs looked fine with their ears cropped, but the
Italian Greyhound with cropped ears? Once again I have to wonder
if maybe some of these models of dogs in these famous paintings
are just from the minds of the creator of the painting and not
dogs that truly existed during their times. On the other hand,
it could have been just an exceptional case and not the norm of
that particular era. I have not personally seen this picture,
have only read about others seeing it, but I have to admit the
Italian greyhound would look every strange with its ears
shortened.
It has been said that one of the most attractive paintings of an
Italian greyhound was of one that appears in the portrait ‘The
Earl of Northampton’ by Pompeo Battoni in the Fitzwilliam
Museum, Cambridge. He was a large size for his period in the
mid-eighteenth century. At this time the Italian Greyhound was
really miniaturized. The portrait is said to be of a beautiful
specimen, with all the elegance and grace of the breed.
This series: “Toy Dogs in Art” continues in Part II.
Let's Get Started
of Spain were particularly attached to dogs, especially toy
dogs. Many of the famous painters of the time painted family
portraits which included their dogs. Works by Velasquez, Murillo
and Goya in particular painted portraits of royal families and
their dogs, many of them being, “toy dogs.” Painting below is by Velasquez having a larger dog.
The walls of Prado in Madrid are covered by portrait after
portrait of dogs and their families or just dogs alone
beautifully painted. Anyone very interested in dogs would
certainly enjoy the experience of surveying the walls of Prado.
Numerous dogs have served as models for sculpture of all sorts
as well.
The Prado has one of the best collections of art in the world.
The fine paintings are not Spanish, nor are they paintings of
the Spanish scene or family. The walls of Prado tell a story of
European history in picture form. One typical example is a
portrait painted by Jan Brueghel de Velours. The painting is of
the interior of a collector’s room, painted in 1617. The artist
included a tiny toy spaniel confronting a monkey in the
foreground of the painting.
In this same painting there is a small white woolly dog which
could be a bichon or a Maltese terrier sitting quietly
underneath a table just watching what is going on but taking no
part.
Artists have always been the recorders of their own times. The
artists tell us something about the dogs that are still with us
as well as about those that appear to have been lost to us
today. In one of Tiziano’s paintings done earlier than de
Velours, he included a dog that if the animal existed today,
would be a glamorous-looking, long-haired Italian greyhound. One
has to wonder, however, did this dog truly exist during that
time or was this only in the mind of the painter.
The Italian greyhound was a favorite at court in both Spain and
Italy centuries ago and appears frequently in paintings in the
Prado. It has been noted that much to one’s surprise in one case
the Italian Greyhound is painted with its ears cropped. This was
quite unusual. Pugs looked fine with their ears cropped, but the
Italian Greyhound with cropped ears? Once again I have to wonder
if maybe some of these models of dogs in these famous paintings
are just from the minds of the creator of the painting and not
dogs that truly existed during their times. On the other hand,
it could have been just an exceptional case and not the norm of
that particular era. I have not personally seen this picture,
have only read about others seeing it, but I have to admit the
Italian greyhound would look every strange with its ears
shortened.
It has been said that one of the most attractive paintings of an
Italian greyhound was of one that appears in the portrait ‘The
Earl of Northampton’ by Pompeo Battoni in the Fitzwilliam
Museum, Cambridge. He was a large size for his period in the
mid-eighteenth century. At this time the Italian Greyhound was
really miniaturized. The portrait is said to be of a beautiful
specimen, with all the elegance and grace of the breed.
This series: “Toy Dogs in Art” continues in Part II.
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