Photos from the National Library of Ireland…
You can see I got carried away. There are so many great photos of Irish dog-lovers to share. See more here. Last but not least, is this image of Patrick Sullivan's bar. I hope you can find a place like this to meet your friends, raise a pint, and most importantly, bring your dog…
Cheers.
Did you get your turkey yet?
Unidentified 1880's Florida woman from the Library of Congress's flickr photostream.
The Dog's Birthday via thespark17 on flickr
Dog Art Today, a blog I started as an "experiment, a vague challenge to myself to see if I could to it," turns three this month. As I head into year four, I continue to be amazed by the depth and breadth of dog artists I discover and the infinitely creative ways dogs appear in every form of art. I remember so clearly when I first started blogging I worried I wouldn't have enough content to fill more than a few weeks of posts. Seriously, I had a list of a few dozen dog artists and that was it. I would be done. Now, 842 posts and over half a million pageviews later, I have trouble keeping up with the vast amount of artworks I plan to feature. So even though I write this blog, it continues to surprise me. And I love that, the endless inspiration, the joyful depiction of dogs, and the eternal bond that they have made with the artists in their lives. Thank you for your tips, your comments, and for sharing your love of dogs and art with me. It is a privilege, every day.
As a thank you gift, I am raffling off my most favorite product from my store, a blank journal. Please leave a comment below to be entered to win your choice of one of my journals. I have dozens to chose from here. I take mine everywhere.
I will select a winner on Tuesday, March 16, 2010.
Poodle with Bow on Table by Anonymous American Photographer, 1850
This sweet Poodle daguerreotype is up for auction at Sotheby’s New York on Monday March 30, 2009. The catalogue’s condition report highlights its “excellent condition” and points out that “this daguerreotype is astonishing for the clarity of its rendering of a
difficult subject. Looked at under magnification, this image shows a
wealth of detail in the dog’s face and in the texture of its fur.”
What I find astonishing is that its one of the earliest dog photographs I have ever seen. And, it is yet another indication that our deep love of our pets is nothing new. Not only does the photographer spend time, money, and materials in a complicated and time consuming process to memorialize the dog, someone also took the time to give her jaunty bow. Wonderful!
Estimate is $5,000 – $7,000. Visit Sotheby’s for more information.
Hat tip to my friend Kevin Hannigan who sent me this story via Andrew Sullivan’s blog.
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See more of her Pudelpointer shots here.
(If you like this post, please leave a comment or subscribe to Dog Art Today. This blog is powered by traffic from readers like you. Thank you for visiting!)
Unknown Woman and Black Dog by J.P. Vail, ca. 1875
The Washington Times reports:
I found some vintage dog photos from the George Eastman House flickr photostream to illustrate the study's further findings, from a time before Prozac…
"Dogs can accomplish [stress reduction] by just being close to a person for
as little as five minutes, while prescription medications can take
weeks to work." (Photo by William M. Vander Weyde, 1898.)
"Elderly persons who have dogs are four times less likely to get depression."
(Photographer unknown, ca. 1915)
Dogs are better than Ritalin. OK, I made that up.
(Photo by C.C. Smith, 1880)
"The data is absolutely unambiguous. [Dogs] actually works better than having a loved one next to you."
(Photo by Barke, 1890)
I swear, I am not featuring Christmas cards to torture you. People really ARE out there looking. Here is a cool link that features free vintage dog art Christmas card images (like the one above) available for downloading.
Also, all dog artists, if you would like me to include your dog art Christmas cards on Dog Art Today, send me your links. Clearly, it’s not too soon to start thinking about the holidays. Yikes!
P.S. I am looking for dog art 2009 calendars too.
Shepherd with his horse and dog on Gravelly Range, Madison County, Montana by Russell Lee, 1942
I’m featuring dog photography this week in honor of the New York Photo Festival. Did you know that the Library of Congress has started a Flickr photostream? Here are a few dogs from their archives.
Beggar’s Dog, Hoboken, between 1910 and 1915
Polish Strikers at N.Y. Mills, Utica, between 1910 and 1915
A Store with Live Fish for Sale, near Natchitoches, LA by Marion Post Wolcott, 1940
Children in the Tenement District, Brockton, MA by Jack Delano, 1940
Tanis Guinness & Ta Wang, 1910
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I’m featuring the Irish Wolfhound on Dog Art Today. Of course the breed has standards and descriptions from The AKC, but I think this passage from "The Icelandic Saga of Nial" sums up these amazing dogs best…
"I will give thee a dog which I got in Ireland. He is huge of limb, and for a follower equal to an able man. Moreover, he hath a man’s wit and will bark at thine enemies but never at thy friends. And he will see by each man’s face whether he be ill or well disposed to thee. And he will lay down his life for thee.” —- Beautiful!
Quote and photo (above) courtesy of Rohan Irish Wolfhounds.
Postcard published by W.E. Mack, London (courtesy of IrishWolfhounds.org)
Hilary Jupp of Sussex, England runs what may be the most comprehensive Irish Wolfhound site on the Web. A former breeder, owner, and publisher of Irish Wolfhound Quarterly, Jupp now devotes her time to preserving the breed’s history, which was slowly disappearing, in digital format. Her website, IrishWolfhounds.org is a true labor of love and a treasure trove of stories, photos, art, legend and practical knowledge about this majestic animal. Here are some my favorite images courtesy of Hilary Jupp.
Comrades by Herbert Dicksee, late 19th century. An Irish Wolfhound sleeps with a Westie.
The Empty Chair by O.B. MacCammon, 1912.
Portrait by Malcolm Nicholson, circa 1932
Time For A Guinness by John Baker
End Of The Hunt, artist unknown
Photo by Heather Beckettt, contemporary
Irish Wolfhound lovers and dog lovers in general owe a debt of gratitude to Hilary Jupp for her passionate devotion to the breed. Thank you Hilary for all your hard work and for bringing us a smile from your beloved Wolfhounds on this St. Patrick’s Day!
Some T-shirts are my designs from DreamDogsArt. Some are from other dog loving artists. I think all are great gear to help you celebrate your dog and your Irish spirit on St. Patrick’s Day. Order early to save on shipping!
Kiss Me I’m Boston Irish junior women’s T-shirt from DreamDogsArt.
Lucky Yellow Lab baby onesie from DreamDogsArt.
Kiss Me I’m German-Irish organic cotton T-shirt from DreamDogsArt.
Kerry Blue St. Patrick’s Day T-shirt from Maggie Ross Dog Art
Charming St. Patrick’s Day Basset Hound T-shirt from Dogs Ink. He looks like a Tammany Hall politician. "Vote early and often."
Super fun St. Patrick’s Day Scottie Men’s T-shirt from Scott Designs.
Go Green Yellow Lab St. Patrick’s Day black long sleeve T-shirt from OtterTail Art For Dog Lovers.
Irish flag dog T-shirt from The Rude Retro T-shirt Store.
For thousands more St. Patrick’s Day T-shirts for dog lovers click here.