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Toy Dogs in
Art Part II - The Little White Toy Dog That May Have Been a Maltese!
By Connie Limon
There is a painting at the Prado
in Madrid that is almost certainly a breed that we have now lost, or
just as likely, it is a crossbred resulting from the inter-mixing of
the various strains of tiny toy dogs. Tiny toy dogs were the
playthings of the houses of fashion and the courts of the
mid-seventeenth century. This little dog is white in color with a
face and eyes like our present day Maltese. The solid white coat is
identical to the kind of a Maltese. The painting done in 1650 is
called 'The Holy Family of the Little Bird.' The artist is Murillo.
An interesting point to mention is that this little white dog in the
painting has the kind of tail found on a Cavalier King Charles
spaniel. Even though it had the tail like the Cavalier King Charles
spaniel, it probably was not that breed, because the color was
white. The subject of Murillo's paintings is biblical. He often
included his own dogs in his paintings, or the dogs he saw around
him, or even dogs belonging to the sponsors for whom he painted the
picture.
It has been noted that in this particular portrait the result is
fascinating. The little white dog is sitting in front of the Holy
Family, looks as if he definitely adores the child, but at the same
time is keeping an eye on the goldfinch which the child holds up to
tempt him. I have to wonder though still perhaps it was the
imagination of the painter rather than a Maltese or a crossbred of
anything. On the flip side, however, it could have very well been a
breed we have now lost, since it is known that these artists did
tell many true to life stories through their painting.
I suppose no one can fully appreciate the portraits done by these
talented artists without standing directly in front of them and with
a love for great art as well for toy dogs.
Many galleries and private collections have paintings that include
toy dogs. Of interest is that few of them are of toy dogs
themselves. Most of the portraits are someone with a toy dog or toy
dogs included as one of the natural adjuncts of the person
portrayed.
One exception to this rule is the portrait of the artist's dog 'Tump'
by Hogarth, in the possession of the Kennel Club in London. The
artist Hogarth was not exceptional because he owned dogs or toy
dogs. He was just one of the few artists who displayed love for his
pets as he did by including them in a good many of his paintings and
engravings.
Another talented artist, Velasquez, in his painting 'Prince Phillip
Prosper' in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, painted a little
white dog very much like the white toy dog in Murillo's 'The Holy
Family of the Little Bird.' In his portrait the little white dog
that resembles our Maltese sits very comfortably looking on a chair
he looks as if he very much considers his own. The child in the
portrait is painted in the formal manner of the time, staring out of
the painting and paying no attention to the toy dog. The little
white toy dog that resembles a Maltese in this portrait has one eye
on the artist and an ear pointing towards the child. One
interpretation of this painting was that it truly appears as if the
artist included the child because he was instructed to do so, but
painted the little white dog that resembles our Maltese from sheer
enjoyment!
This series: Toy Dogs in Art continues in Part III.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.
Author: Connie Limon, Visit:
http://smalldogs2.com/Maltese and
http://www.camelotarticles.com |
