Dog Art Today

Vädersolstavlan: The Sun Dog Painting of Stockholm

 

 

Vädersolstavlan, The Sun Dog Painting of Stockholm, 1535

A sun dog, or parhelion (plural is parhelia) which means “beside the sun” in Greek, is also called a mock Sun or a phantom sun. This is an atmospheric phenomenon that results to the manifestation of bright spots of light in the horizon. It usually appears in the form of a halo or a luminously brilliant ring on either side of the sun.

Vädersolstavlan, The Sun Dog Painting of Stockholm depicts a two-hour sun dog episode from 1535.   It is considered the oldest image of Stockholm in color.  The artist is unknown and the original is lost.  This is an image of a 17th century copy.   Via 59 North.  More here.

Enjoy the solstice and your sun dog.

Tim Storrier + Smudge Win the Archibald Prize

 

Tim Storrier with Smudge and The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch). Photo credit: Jane Dempster

Last week, artist Tim Storrier won the the Archibald Prize, Australia's most important portraiture contest established in 1921. He credits his dog Smudge with helping his faceless self-portrait take the top honors and $75,000 in prize money.  Read the full story at The Australian.


Here is the prize-winning portrait...

The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch) by Tim Storrier

 

 

The Wayfarer by Hieronymous Bosch, 1510

See an interview with Tim Storrier and view all the finalists at The Sydney Morning Herald's website.

Tim Storrier's website.

NYC Dog-Art Tour

 

 

Howling Canine, 5th or 6th Century Mexican Ceramic at the Met

In honor of the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show that starts on Monday, Randy Kennedy of The New York Times takes readers on a dog-art tour of New York City.  He has some nice picks spanning sevearal centuries, continents, and mediums, but my favorite aspect of his article is that he's settled for me my own style guide quandary, something I've debated since I began this blog almost five years ago; dog-art has a hyphen.   Read Kennedy's article Sit. Stay. Good Art.

2.12.12 Update:  Oops.  Dog art is not automatically hyphenayted.  Thank you dog artist Leslie Moore for this clarification:

A quick grammatical note from a recovering English teacher: dog art should be hyphenated when the two words are both adjectives modifying a noun, i.e. when Randy Kennedy describes New York City as a "dog-art town." When the single adjective "dog" modifies the noun "art," no hyphen is necessary.

 

 

Boy with a Greyhound by Paolo Veronese, 1570s at The Met

 

Miss Mary Edwards by William Hogarth, 1742 at The Frick

 

A Woman with a Dog by Jean Honoré Fragonard, 1769 at The Met

 

Hunting Dogs with Dead Hare by Gustave Courbet, 1857 at The Met

 

Boodgie and Stanley by David Hockney, 1993 at The Morgan Library & Museum

Hat tip to my mom, and dog artists Barbara Grossman, and Natalie Timm for sending me links to this article.

Melencolia I by Albrecht Dürer

 

 

Melencolia I by Albrecht Dürer, 1514

I went to our local shelter today.  It is a no-kill rescue.  The dogs are walked twice a day.  The cats are petted and cared for.  I gave one little guy a bath because he had soiled his crate.  I threw away a clump of his hair with feces on it in a garbage can that held dog food.  They had to throw away all the dog food.  A convict washed out the can with Clorox.  

I took the little dog for a walk outside.  His backend is wonky, but he got going.  I kept him away from a Pit Bull, but I was frightened.  I brought him back inside, put him back in his crate, and started to fill out an application.  I didn't finish it. 

I left, and Romeo and Juliet smothered me with kisses on the way to the path.  I knew I was allergic to them.  But I let them.  They need to be adopted together because she cannot survive without him.  Her heart is too big and she has a murmur.  I came home and took a Benadryl and a shower.  Everyone says, "You'll know when it's your dog."  I believe that.  But I am having trouble with knowing they are not my dogs.  I have been sheltered.

Via The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Leonardo da Vinci: Dog Artist

 ***Correction***  I orignially wrote that Study of a Pomeranian was by Leonardo da Vinci, because it's sold all ove the Internet that way.  But a little research revealed it is actually attributed to Francesco Melzi.  But, scroll down and you will see The Head of a Dog that was made by Leonardo da Vinci in 1497.  I think it looks a little like Darby.   I hope it was a sweet companion and not a specimen on his dissecting table.

 

 

Study of a Pomeranian by Francesco Melzi  1510 - 1520

 

The Head of a Dog by Leonardo da Vinci, 1497

I've lived in Florence.  I've studied a tremendous amount of Renaissance art and history.  I had no idea Leonardo da Vinci was a dog artist.

If you don't have anything to do today, visit the Windsor Royal Library's online collection of 825 Leonardo da Vinci sketches.  Mind-blowing.

Have a great weekend.