Paws, Paint, and Prestige: Canine Art Fetches Top Bids at Freeman’s | Hindman

Pup portraits were “Best in Show,” fetching prices beyond expectations.

A Papillon, British School, oil on canvas,
19th century, 14 1/2 in. by 11 in., $640.

Art has traced humanity’s love and devotion to our canine companions throughout history. A universal genre that has flourished over the centuries, dogs have been artists’ muses, included in artworks as symbols of love, faithfulness, guardianship, and wealth, and used as subjects for noble commissions.

During the sale, Best in Show: Interiors, Featuring a Collection of Canine Art From the Estate of Ruth Havemeyer Norwood, that closed on February 14, Freeman’s | Hindman offered dog lovers and collectors alike regal portraits and other charming depictions of man’s best friend.

Not a Love Match, 1890, Robert Morley (British, 1857-1941), oil on canvas, 34 in. by 44 in., $19,200.

The top lot was the oil on canvas Circus Dogs by Lilian Cheviot (British, 1840-1932), which sold for $21,760—almost three times its high estimate of $8,000. Though she painted other animals, including cats, horses, and tigers, Cheviot was primarily known for her dog portraits.

Vixen, A Thorough-bred Scottish Terrier, 1822,
Sir Edward Henry Landseer (British, 1802-1873), oil on panel, 4 1/2 in. by 5 1/2 in., $10,880.

Three pieces rounded out the top lots: Not a Love Match, an 1890 oil on canvas by Robert Morley (British, 1857-1941) featuring a dog and hissing cat on a tennis court, which fetched $19,200—almost three times its high estimate of $7,000; and Vixen, A Thorough-bred Scottish Terrier, an 1822 oil on panel by Sir Edward Henry Landseer (British, 1802-1873), which brought $10,880—the high estimate was $8,000.

Circus Dogs, Lilian Cheviot (British, 1840-1932),
oil on canvas, 25 in. by 30 in., $21,760

The earliest illustrations of dogs in art were found in cave paintings. In Egyptian, Greek, and Roman paintings, dogs were depicted as faithful and fearless hunters, leaders, and mythological guardians of the gates to the afterlife. Men during the medieval era were often painted with hunting dogs as symbols of status and wealth, and sporting scenes were popular in Britain over the centuries.

The Meeting and The Parting, 1910, Briton Riviere (British, 1840-1920), oil on canvas, each 12 1/2 in. by 10 in., $9,600.

In the 18th century, dog portraiture grew as a genre, particularly for those wealthy enough to immortalize their beloved canines on canvas. Lapdogs were popularly painted and came into fashion with women in 18th-century France, particularly with Marie Antoinette, who was known for her love of bichon frise, papillons, and pugs.

Brussels Griffon, 1905, Frances Fairman (British, 1839-1923), oil on canvas, 21 in. by 20 in., $8,320.

The market for dog portraits is strong across stylistic approaches and eras. Many offered in the sale that also sold way above their estimates included Brussels Griffon, a 1905 oil on canvas by Frances Fairman (British, 1839-1923) that realized $8,320 (high estimate was $5,000); Che Fue, The Property of Miss Leckie, watercolor and gouache on paper by Frances Fairman (British, 1839-1923) that went for $7,680 (high estimate was $2,000); Seated Gray Poodle, a 1911 watercolor and pastel on paper by Frances Fairman (British, 1839-1923) that made $3,520 (high estimate was $2,000); and Long-Haired Dachshund, an 1874 oil on canvas, German School, that sold for $3,200 (high estimate was $800).

Pomeranians, 1895, Frances Fairman (British, 1839-1923), watercolor on paper, 25 in. by 18 1/2 in., $6,080.

Several lots of dog collars from the 19th and early 20th centuries also sold well, including a group of nineteen brass and mixed metal-mounted collars, primarily English and French, that sold for $2,560 (high estimate was $700), a group of eight silver and brass-mounted dog collars, English and American, that brought $1,152 (high estimate was $600), and a group of thirteen brass, iron, silver, and mixed metal chain-link collars English, American, and French, that sold for $1,024 (high estimate was $600).

For more results, visit hindmanauctions.com.

Photos courtesy of Freeman’s | Hindman.

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