Dog Art Today

The Princes in the Tower by Paul Delaroche

The Princes in the Tower by Paul Delaroche, 1830

On view now at the National Gallery in London as part of the exhibition Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey, this painting depicts "the sons of Edward IV who were placed in the Tower of London and then possibly murdered on the orders of Richard III, although their exact fate remains unknown."  The little dog is on alert as someone, perhaps their executioner, approaches the the door.  Brilliant use of a dog to convey tension and tell the story, beautifully rendered from behind (not easy to do), too.

Read more about the rehabilitation of this French painter who was fascinated with royalty and violence at the Guardian.

Laura Letinsky: The Dog and the Wolf

Untitled #19 from Laura Letinsky's The Dog and the Wolf series

Today's dog art is conceptual rather than literal.   Laura Letinsky's new series of photographs is entitled The Dog and the Wolf, but as far as I can discern, there are no dogs in the photographs.  The title is based on an Aesop's fable of the same name, but...

[A]lso refers to the French phrase L'heure entre chien et loup -- the time between dog and wolf is seen when dusk becomes night. This is a mysterious time when day and night exist together, when a dog is no longer a dog but not fully a wolf. Exploring this concept, Letinsky is now photographing in twilight as opposed to the morning light that permeated her earlier work. The subject matter of her recent still life photographs mirrors the darker lighting and mood with a grotesque beauty. Dead hares, birds, and even an octopus more typical of this historical genre share the stage with lollipops, candy canes, and half-eaten fruit from the artist’s own daily life.

On view now until March 13, 2010 at Monique Meloche in Chicago.

Play With Me by Kathi Peters

Play with Me by Kathi Peters

Maine artist Kathi Peters paints horses and posts about them on her blog Cob Cottage Studio, but I think she should seriously consider adding dogs to her repertoire on a more regular basis.  This piece, Play with Me, is exquisite.  It reminds me of one of my all time favorite dog paintings, Homer, by Jamie Wyeth.

Dog Collage Pendants from Black Dawg Studio

Wearable shadowboxes featuring vintage dog photographs from Black Dawg Studio's Etsy store.  So sweet and only $5. 

"My little dog, a heartbeat at my feet." is a quote from Edith Wharton who is also responsible for this gem, "I don't know if I should care for a man who made life easy; I should want someone who made it interesting."  Hmmm, every woman's eternal paradox, no?

Nancy Schutt's Dog Song II: "Better With You There" by Rich + Dan Reising

How can a song be heartbreaking and upbeat? I have no idea but father and son country music team pulled it off when they wrote a song about Dan's dog entitled "Better With You There."  Then they discovered Nancy Schutt's terrific dog art music video "The Dog Song" and sent her a note to see if she was interested in their new song.  Serendipitously, Nancy was putting together a slide show of new paintings and was in need of music.  They put the images and music together and as you can see, everything clicked.  Brace yourself for beauty, tears, and laughter, just like life with a dog.  Enjoy...

See more of Nancy Schutt's work or comisson a pet portrait at her website Good Dog Art.  Visit Dan Reising's myspace page here.