Page 25 - (DK) The Dog Encyclopedia

DOGS IN ART AND ADVERTISING

A king’s companion Equally long survivors are the black Scottie
This portrait of Emperor Charles V by Tiziano (see p.189) and the West Highland White
Vecelli (Titian) subtly suggests the emperor’s
power as he is depicted restraining one of his Terrier (see p.188), famous since the 1890s as
large dogs. the trademark for a brand of Scotch whisky.
Original bar figurines, jugs, and ashtrays
painted dogs innumerable times, featuring the “Black and White” pair are now
sitting on laps, going for walks, and collectors’ items.
at picnics. Amid the crowded scene With the arrival of commercial television,
of one of his most famous works, dogs started appearing on screen in
The Boating Party (1880–81), a small advertisements promoting almost anything
dog shares the limelight in the from cans of paint to credit cards. Since
foreground. Another artist who the 1970s, hundreds of huggable Labrador
enjoyed painting dogs was Pierre Retriever (see pp.260) puppies have taken
Bonnard (1867–1947); from street on the role as mascot for a best-selling toilet
mutts to family pets, he showed them tissue, gamboling amid unraveling toilet-
bursting with real character. paper rolls. Naturally, dogs are used to
More disturbing are the dogs used advertise their own products, too. Bright-
as obscure symbols in the surreal eyed and bouncing, they testify to the
paintings of Salvador Dali. The excellence of various canned and packaged
starving hound chewing a carcass in pet foods—although the biggest hit, Henry
Dali’s Metamorphosis of Narcissis the bloodhound in a much-loved television
(1937) possibly reflects death and advertisement of the 1960s and 70s, simply
decay. Just as enigmatic is fellow sat and looked doleful.
surrealist Joan Miro’s cartoonish In the world of fashion, dogs are also
little dog baying at an uncaring often used on the principle that “cute sells.”
Moon in a largely barren canvas Alongside leggy models in haute couture
(Dog Barking at the Moon, 1926). clothes or advertising luxury goods, dogs
Dog-lover Picasso’s simple sketch of work particularly well as accessories. Today’s
his dog, Lump, captures the essence upmarket fashion magazines are full of
of the Dachshund (see p.170) in a photoshoots featuring Pugs (see p.268)
few graceful lines and has become and Chihuahuas (see p.282) wearing a
one of his most popular prints. small fortune in designer jewelry around
Lucien Freud included his beloved their necks or poking their heads out of
portrayed as a fact of life, desirable or whippets, Eli and Pluto, in several of his expensive handbags.
otherwise, have been common in art for powerful human portraits—in his Girl with
centuries. William Hogarth (1697–1764), a White Dog (1950–51) the bull terrier is as
who posed with his pet pug, Trump, in a much a focal point of the picture as the
self-portrait, included dogs as part of the female model, Freud’s first wife.
social commentary implicit in his work.
Hogarth’s dogs go about their canine affairs COMMERCIAL ICONS
largely unregarded, stealing food scraps or Dog appeal has proved immensely valuable
lifting a leg to urinate. Dogs began to be in the field of commercial advertising. In
painted as a subject in their own right in the much the same way as artists sometimes
late 18th century by painters such as George portray dogs symbolically, so marketing
Stubbs. A more sentimental attitude to dogs managers find dogs useful for putting their
crept in with the Victorian artists, famously messages across: bulldogs, strong and
Sir Edwin Landseer (1802–73), whose reliable, sell insurance; large, shaggy dogs
portraits of self-sacrificing Newfoundlands suggest a family-friendly product; small,
(see p.79), pert terriers, and noble deerhounds fluffy breeds have the right image for
embody the virtues and emotions of his era. beauty aids.
Some of the greatest pictures in the world One of the best-known advertising icons of
His Master’s Voice
include a dog or two—variously interpreted all time is the painting of the terrier Used as a logo since 1899 by the music company HMV,
by impressionists, post-impressionists, “Nipper,” used as a logo since 1899 by the Nipper, the terrier gazing transfixed into the trumpet of a
windup gramophone, has survived into the 21st century
surrealists, modernists, and others. Renoir music company HMV (His Master’s Voice). despite the advent of new technology.

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