This super “The Gathering” Card by Madame Treacle is availabe at Abrahams Store and depicts a colledtion of pedigree chums meeting up to wish the receipent a Happy Birthday. We’re a bit diappointed the George our wire haird doggy mascot isn’t there but maybe the card is for him. Or maybe he is on his way, just late again.
When we saw them, we simply had to buy in some of Madame Treacle’s quirky designs. We are thrilled to add Madame T to our list of suppliers. Based somewhere between Lewes in Sussex and Newhaven, Janie has been creating surface print designs for many years. Finding inspiration in a range of sources from perfume labels to railway posters, she produces warm and wonderfully colourful designs.
All these products are UK made and sourced from FSC certified and recyclable materials. Many of the designs feature anthropomorphised dogs which also sits well with Abrahams other canine inspired offerings.
DOGS IN ART
Depicting animals in art dates back to the age of cavemen. One early example of a dog in art is the mosaic from the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii. It is actually a sign instructing those entering the house to ‘cave canem’ or ‘beware of the dog’. The original is in the Naples Archaeological Museum but this reproduction (below left) is in the entrance to the house.
Going Dutch
Mankind’s working relationship with dogs is also shown Pieter Bruegel the Elder 1565 painting Hunters in the Snow (below centre) which features a pack of hounds as part of another of Mr B’s illustrations of life in the Netherlands. People are skating, curling and playing ice hockey on the lake and the last house in the village has one valiant resident climbing the roof to tackle a chimney fire.
Moreover, the hunt has been a failure with only a fox to show for the hunter’s efforts, so the hunters and the dogs look rather dejected and to taunt them all the more they can see the footprints of a rabbit or hare that has escaped.
Around the same time it became fashionable to include dogs in portraits of their owners. Jan van Eyke’s The Arnolfini Wedding (below right) includes the bride’s pet Griffon Terrier a symbol of loyalty or fidelity (hence ‘Fido’ for a faithful dog). Of course the painting is famed for its’ symbolism at many levels as well as the quality of execution. Detail abounds; Van Eyke was an early adopter of oil painting with its long drying time allowing superb levels of detail. The ‘reality’ of the mirror reflection of the couple and their guests is, I think, barely credible.
Dog Stars
Dogs then made the leap forward to becoming the subject of portraits such as “Boy”, Prince Rupert of the Rhine’s poodle depicted here. Boy went on campaign with Prince Rupert in the First English Civil War from 1642 and was reputed by Royalists to have special magical protective powers . However, Parliamentarians suggested he was some sort of witch’s familiar. Neither proved to be true as animal met its death at the Battle of Marston Moor on July 2nd 1644.
Another fine example of canine portraiture is this Grey Spotted Hound by John Wootton (1682-1764). I think that the way this dog is looking so intently conveys its vitality. Sadly the name of the dog appears to have been lost in the mists of time.
Human Hounds ?
The anthropomorphism of dogs seems to have taken hold in the late 19th century. Cassius Marcellus Coolidge painted a series of ‘dogs playing cards’ from 1894 onwards which were, ultimately featured in advertising calendars. Here are two examples the first from 1894 the second from 1904.
More modern interpretations of dogs in art are largely found in cartoons, for example Fred Bassett drawn by Alex Graham for the Daily Mail in the 1960s. Then there is Snoopy, the creation of Charles M Shultz from the USA born in the early 1950s. As was ‘Spike’, Snoopy’s brother who lives in Needles, Arizona.
Screen Dog-ess ?
We’ve probably all seen Lassie, Beethoven or Togo on the ‘silver screen’. Maybe you recall Asta, If you remember The Thin Man but they all lack human characteristics.
When it comes to animated cartoon dogs, portraying human emotion, there are many to choose from. How about Goofy, Huckleberry Hound, Deputy Dawg, Droopy, Scooby Doo, Santa Little Helper or even Brian Griffin. My apologies if I’ve missed out your favourite. Anyway there’s no doubt that portraying our cherished canine as possessing human qualities is heart-warming.