Art is understood as an expression of the artists' feelings. As we mentioned on another occasion, pets have been represented in art from prehistoric times to the present day. Artists depict them as part of their everyday lives.
We have conducted an in-depth analysis throughout the history of art and discovered a wide variety of artists who depicted pets in their works. Each artist and each artistic movement depicts ARISTOPETS in a very different way, even artists from the same period.
We invite you to discover how pets were painted in different artistic movements during the modern era. On this occasion, we begin with the Impressionist movement.
Impressionism
This movement emerged in France at the end of the 19th century and was characterized by breaking with the rules established by the French Academy of Fine Arts. Its technique is characterized by the purity and saturation of color.
Édouard Manet
One of the leading artists of this movement was Édouard Manet. Among his works, we can see several ARISTOPETS belonging to royalty or influential figures in society. For example, this small Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which is characterized by its active and cheerful temperament.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (1866)
Or these endearing ARISTODOGS, Douki and Bob. They are Brussels Griffon dogs. They are miniature dogs named after their city of origin. Within this breed, we can find dogs with different characteristics, sizes, and temperaments.
Douki (1875)
Head of a Dog (1876)
Tama, the ARISTODOG of an important Japanese banker, Henri Cernuschi. Its breed, the Japanese Water Spaniel, was considered an exotic breed in France at that time. It was so unusual that Manet was not the only painter to portray her.
Tama (1875)
Other works by Manet featuring ARISTOPETS:
The Artist, Portrait of Gilbert Marcelino Desboutin (1875)
The Railway (1873)
Claude Monet
Claude Monet painted his wife Camille Doncieux on countless occasions. Here we can see her portrayed with a small Maltese bichon. These ARISTODOGS are known for their friendly and sociable nature.
Camille with a Small Dog (1866)
In this other work, we see Eugénie Graff, the owner of an inn in Pourville, where the artist stayed for two months. He drew her with her dog, Follette, a Yorkshire Terrier.
Portrait of Eugénie Graff (1882)
Another portrait with an ARISTOPET is that of the French naturalist and explorer Victor Jacquemont, together with his dog.
Victor Jacquemont with an Umbrella (1865)
Auguste Renoir
As we mentioned earlier, Manet was not the only one to paint little Lady; the artist Renoir also portrayed her. Although they were contemporaries, we can see clear differences in their artistic techniques.
Tama, the Japanese Dog (1876)
This artist is known for depicting everyday scenes of life: dances, meals, and walks in the park. In “Luncheon of the Boating Party,” we can see a girl with her small terrier.
Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881)
He also painted several portraits of different ARISTOPETS, such as this cat and dog.
Head of a Dog (1870)
Sleeping Cat (1862)
Other works by this artist featuring ARISTOPETS:
Woman with a Cat (1875)
Edgar Degas
Although he was known for portraying ballerinas during their ballet classes or performances, we can also find works featuring animals, such as this painting of a horse and a dog in the stables.
