I could easily be a crazy dog lady; instead, I satisfy my dog cravings by carrying pocketsful of dog treats and sharing them out along my morning hike. I also like painting dogs myself; they’re soulful, elegant creatures. But here are ten great dog paintings for your weekend.
Writing about Francisco Goya on Wednesday got me thinking of his masterpiece, El Perro. Goya is considered the bridge to modern painting. El Perro has influenced generations of painters, not just because of its bleak representation of vulnerability and isolation, but for its beautifully controlled use of space.
Cave canem is Latin for “beware of the dog.” This mosaic makes me smile not just because the idea is timeless, but because the dog looks like he’s more likely to lick your face than to bite.
The Wyeths, père et fil, are great sources of dog paintings. I once had a scruffy Jack Russell terrier who was the spitting image of this fellow. Jamie Wyeth may have been thinking of Winslow Homer, but he’s also caught wet, shivering dog perfectly.
Andrew Wyeth named his dog after Nell Gwyn, the “pretty, witty” mistress of King Charles II of England and Scotland. The woman was earthy; the dog is aristocratic. But if 17th century portraits are reliable, they shared very pale coloring.
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer’s most famous dog painting is The Old Shepherd’s Chief Mourner, but I am partial to Eos, A Favorite Greyhound of Prince Albert. The dog, the color structure and the composition are all fantastically elegant.
George Stubbs is primarily known as a painter of horses, but he was equally facile with dogs, moose, and the odd kangaroo. This pair seem to be having an almost-human interaction.
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Rosa Bonheur is another painter known primarily for animal paintings. I have no idea what a Limier Briquet Hound is, but this fellow looks like my Brittany spaniel buddy, Cody.
I used to see Giacomo Balla’s futurist portrait of a dachshund back in my hometown of Buffalo. Today, motion studies are old hat, but this was a revolutionary idea back before fast cameras. He got it just right; I have a little dachshund friend, Bear, who moves just like this dog.
The Painter and his Pug is a clever 1745 self-portrait-within-a-painting by William Hogarth. His dog, Trump, is sitting in front of the framed self-portrait. Trump lived for 15 years and Hogarth painted him many times; he considered the dog a symbol of his own pugnacious character.
Last but certainly not least is Screened Porch by Canadian painter Robert Bateman (which you can buy in print form here). Anyone who’s ever cohabitated with a dog knows this look. Pathetic.
Reserve your spot now for a workshop in 2025:
- Canyon Color for the Painter, Sedona, AZ, March 10-14, 2025
- Advanced Plein Air Painting, Rockport, ME, July 7-11, 2025.
- Sea and Sky at Acadia National Park, August 3-8, 2025.
- Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air, Berkshires, MA, August 11-15, 2025.
- Immersive In-Person Fall Workshop, Rockport, ME, October 6-10, 2025.