Dog Paintings

Did you know that some of the greatest artworks of all time are dog paintings? That classic “Dogs Playing Poker” piece that you see so often as a cheesy addition to any room was originally part of a series of dog paintings created by C.M. Coolidge. They were commissioned to be used as advertising for Brown and Bigelow Cigars. There were sixteen different scenes painted by the artist in 1903. In 2005, two of those sold for $590,400 at auction. Coolidge, considered an American success story by his peers when alive, would have been shocked.

When we shop in novelty and pet stores and see dog paintings and portraits of our favorite animals, we rarely think about where the idea for those works of art came from. One of the most well-known dog paintings of all time is a piece of work called “His Master’s Voice”. You’ll know it immediately by description. It’s an image of a fox terrier listening to an old Gramophone with a puzzled look on his face. What you probably don’t know is that the dog’s name is Nipper and he’s puzzled because the voice he’s hearing belonged to his master, who was deceased at the time the painting was done.

“His Master’s Voice” became the logo for RCA and HMV Records in 1909 and can still be seen today. The artists name was Francis Barraud. Not too many people know that, but his work has definitely immortalized him as it has Coolidge and other artists who have chosen to do portraits of our favorite four-legged fur balls. All of us here at the Animal Blueprint Company would like to thank them all for their contribution to dog lovers everywhere. They were the inspiration that got us started doing what we do.

If you have a dog painting on your wall or are contemplating the purchase of one, please take some time and learn the history of it. Those “cute” and “curious” pictures often have great stories behind them. Dog show champions, heroes that saved children and dogs that stood by the side of royalty are all portrayed casually on walls and flip racks everywhere. They didn’t attain that position by accident. Have you ever wondered why these dogs and not others? Take a look at the back of the dog painting to see if there’s a title and the front to see if there’s an author. If there is, do some research and maybe you can send us some facts about a dog painting that we don’t know.