Trends collide in this lively and lovely dog portrait by Richard Ansdell. When Queen Victoria was given a King Charles Spaniel named Dash right before she became queen at the age of 17, the breed became wildly popular. When she had Sir Edwin Landseer include the pup in his spectacular painting Her Majesty’s Favourite Pets, 1837, (below) dog owners clamored to similarly memorialize their pets.
Van Dyck style portraits with grand landscape backgrounds, like Lady Killigrew,1638, (below) were also fashionable at the time.
And much the way dog-lovers today Warhol-ize their pets, a vividly realized, Van Dyck-esque King Charles Spaniel painting was the must-have item for trendy Victorian ladies. Ansdell’s was probably one of these. And it, too, is spectacular! Christie’s esitmates it will sell at auction this Friday for between $150,00-$250,000.
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