Art Nouveau Dog Drawing Italian Grayhound

Greyhounds in Art, Design, Literature and History

Early Renaissance Art

St. Sigismund and Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1451) Piero della Francesca

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Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, an Italian Condottiero (a mercenary military leader serving Italian city states and the papacy) impressively known as 'The Wolf of Rimini' commissioned Piero Della Francesca, one of the most admired renaissance artists, to paint this fresco in the Tempio Malatestiano, in Rimini.

Why not be oneself? That is the whole secret of a successful appearance. If one is a greyhound, why try to look like a Pekingese?

Dame Edith Sitwell

A Flemish Master

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van-dyck-greyhound-study

This portrait of James Stuart, a cousin of King Charles I, was painted by Anthony Van Dyck circa 1633. The greyhound is said to represent nobility (as only nobles had hunting privileges) and fidelity. Van Dyck, a flemish baroque artist, became court artist to King Charles I and painted many royal portraits. The study for the greyhound is wonderful…the musculature and form of the dog is beautifully observed and drawn. The painting is on view at The Met in New York, the study is held in the British Museum.

The Simpsons

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Possibly the world's most famous adopted greyhound. Rescued from a racetrack one Christmas Eve, Santa's Little Helper appears in many Simpsons episodes, some featuring him as the central storyline.

A Baroque Masterpiece

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The Finding of Moses (est. early 1730s) Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

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It is thought Tiepolo was commissioned to paint this large work (now on display in the Scottish National Gallery) by Andrea Corner for his Palazzo on the Venetian Grand Canal. Noted for its biblical subject in a contemporary eighteen century setting. They might have found the future prophet, but they clearly forgot to feed their hound – who must be wondering when the commandment 'thou shalt always provide a comfortable sofa for your greyhound' will be written.

A Tudor Favourite

Escutcheon on King's College Chapel, Cambridge University.

The Greyhound was a favourite Tudor beast, from Henry VI through Margaret Beaufort, matriarch of the house of Tudor, through her son, Henry VII to her grandson Henry VIII. Greyhounds featured in Tudor and Lancastrian coats of arms and armorials. Great stone badges were carved by craftsmen in cathedrals and notably, Kings College at Cambridge University (founded by Henry VI). Greyhound appeared as the letter G in the university's Cambridge Animal Alphabet and there is a very interesting article here detailing their heraldic significance and the veterinary research the university is conducting into canine osteosarcoma, sadly common in the breed.

One of the 'King's Beasts' on the moat bridge at the Royal Palace of Hampton Court on the banks of the river at Richmond Upon Thames is a Greyhound. Ten heraldic animals, both real and imaginary, representing the ancestry of Henry VII and his wife Jane Seymour guard the approach to the 'Great Gatehouse'. The palace now has a garden designed in the Tudor style featuring a white hound.

Kings Beasts Image Cristian Bortes.
CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Elke Vogelsang – Photographer

Elke is a pet (and people) photographer based in Hildesheim, Germany. She has three rescue hounds – Noodles, Scout (above) and Ioli and is a strong advocate of animal rehoming….even to the extent of photographing foster dogs free to help them find new homes. That truly is 'paying it forward'. You can view Elke's other dog images…you can skip past the hoomans ; ) here .

Image © Elke Vogelsang.
Used with permission.

Sally Muir – Artist

Bath based Sally Muir paints and draws dogs of all breeds…but she clearly has a very soft spot for hounds! Her current, massive project 'A Dog a Day' (catch it on facebook here ) where she will paint or draw a dog for 365 days demonstrates a fantastic range of work. Her style is minimal – 'My approach is to keep things simple…Less is more is what I aim for.' Have a look at how she achieves that wonderfully here .

Images © Sally Muir.
Used with permission.

Liana Joy – Tattoo Artist

Nicole, from Fishers, Indiana wears this amazing tattoo inked by Liana Joy. See Liana's other work here .

Art Deco Beauty

Born in Toulouse, France (home to many famous writers and artists) Louis Icart (1880 – 1950) was famous for his fashion sketches, paintings and etchings during the Art Deco period.

Windspiel

The guys over at the Windspiel are seriously into Greyhounds. Windspiel Premium Dry Gin is dedicated to Frederick the Great, who discovered the potato in Germany and his second great passion: the greyhound, or in German "Windspiel". The dog lover of the product originators, Sandra, is very enthusiastic about Frederick's passion for greyhounds – he even wanted to be buried with them – and a grey forms the company logo and appears on all their premium gin, vodka and herb and tuber products.

The New York Met

Gary Tinterow, now director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, previously worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for 28 years. As a serial adopter he clearly has a love of greyhounds and talks affectionately about them in one of The Met'sConnections videos dedicated solely to greyhounds in art. You can view the video here. Mr Tinterow speaks with passion and authority in his area of expertise and is a great ambassador for greys. It's well worth the few minutes view.

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot;
Follow your spirit: and upon this charge,
Cry — God for Harry! England and Saint George!
William Shakespeare,Henry V

An English Traditionalist

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george_garrard_greyhound_juno Images Wikimedia

Both paintings by George Garrard (1760-1826), a notable portrait, landscape and animal artist in 1822. The top greyhound is Turk, with Juno underneath. These two fine dogs were the property of George Lane Fox, an English landowner and Tory MP who, along with his horses, achieved much success on the racetracks of the day. The artist must have been hitting the madeira quite heavily looking at the proportions of those heads to their bodies. Still, wonderful pictures.

There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

King James Bible,
Proverbs 30:29-31

An animated GIF by QwkDog Design.

Sir Walter Scott

Portrait of Sir Walter Scott and his Dogs (c 1820) Henry Raeburn

Clearly frustrated over his master's contemplation of whatever recent classic literary endeavour and not getting off his butt and heading for the biscuit tin, Henry Raeburn's portrait of Sir Walter Scott nicely captures the loyalty of his hound. Raeburn, an eminent Scottish artist, also painted what is one of Edinburgh's most famous works – 'The Skating Minister'. Both men resided in the Scottish capital…the home city of In Praise of Greys.

Twas when fleet Snowball's head was waxen grey,
A luckless leveret met him on his way:
Who knows not Snowball ? He whose race re-nowned
Is still victorious on each coursing ground?
Swaffham, Newmarket, and the Roman camp
Have seen them victors o'er each meaner stamp.
In vain the youngling sought with doubling wile.
The hedge, the hill, the thicket, or the stile.
Experience sage, the lack of speed supplied.
And in the gap he sought – the victim died.

Sir Walter Scott,
The Fortunes of Nigel

Paul Croes and Inge Nelis – Photographers

Paul Croes and Inge Nelis are remarkable dog photographers based in Belgium. They have a wonderful philosophy to their canine image making and their beautiful Greyhound images perfectly capture the grace and elegance of the breed…see them here .

Image © Paul Croes & Inge Nelis.
Used with permission.

Kirsten Baron – Artist

Kirsten Baron is a freelance artist, graphic designer, illustrator, printmaker and teacher based in Reigate, Surrey. Hounds are a family affair…these three wonderful drypoint prints are of her own and daughter's dogs – Ruddy, top, Bonnie, Middle and Monty. You can view the full range of her work here .

Images © Kirsten Baron.
Used with permission.

FIRST MURDERER
We are men, my lord.

MACBETH
Yes, you're part of the species called men. Just as hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, mutts, shaggy lapdogs, swimming dogs, and wolf-dog crossbreeds are all dogs. But if you list the different kinds of dogs according to their qualities, you can distinguish which breeds are fast or slow, which ones are clever, which ones are watchdogs, and which ones hunters. You can classify each dog according to the natural gifts that separate it from all other dogs. It's the same with men.

William Shakespeare, Macbeth

The Neoclassical Beauty

Elizabeth Gunning, Duchess of Hamilton and later Duchess of Argyll (1733-1790) Gavin Hamilton

Elizabeth Gunning was one of the most celebrated beauties of her time. Her poor mother made it her mission to secure a brilliant marriage for her daughter and these ambitions were fulfilled when she attracted the attentions of one of the wealthiest men…James Hamilton, the 6th Duke of Hamilton. Job done. Hounds on the end of the bed.

Greyhounds he hadde as swifte as fowel in flight;
Of prikyng and of hunting for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare

Geoffrey Chaucer, Monk's Speech from The Canterbury Tales

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and Eos

It is a little known fact that Queen Victoria was an ardent sketcher. Her Journals, full of writings and drawings, are held in the Bodlein Libraries at Oxford University. You can see many of her sketches online here . Of note to us greyhounders is one she penned of Prince Albert's favourite dog, his greyhound Eos.

Eos sitting: pen and ink sketch by Queen Victoria, Thursday 1st August 1844

Eos had accompanied Albert when he came to Great Britain from Germany in to marry Victoria in 1840. Poor Eos was actually shot by the then Prince Albert's uncle, Ferdinand, on a royal visit to Windsor. Happily Eos survived and led a healthy life until 1844. She was a companion to Albert for over a decade.

Eos featured in royal portraits several times, but was most notably painted by Sir Edwin Landseer (the unrivalled animal artist of the time) commissioned by the Queen as a surprise Christmas present for her Prince in 1841. The painting is held in the Royal Collection and this fascinating video has lots of wonderful insights.

Images (Sketch) © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2012 © Bodleian Libraries © ProQuest (Landseer) Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017

The Greyhound, the great Hound, the graceful of limb,

Bough fellow, tall fellow, swift fellow, and slim;

Let them sound o'er the earth, let them sail o'er the sea,

They will light on none other more ancient than he.

Old manuscript

Keen collectors

Despite their website being nearly twenty years old…!…french greyhound breeder Cecile Duflos' Baraka's kennel has amassed the most amazing and wonderful collection of greyhound art. Consisting of paintings, ceramics, engravings, postcards, stamps, lithographs and sculptures it deserves to be archived for posterity. View the collection here.

The English Pub Sign

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Since medieval times hand painted signs have hung at public house entrances to welcome thirsty patrons. There are 148 pubs in Britain named The Greyhound.Public house names were often inspired by royalty and The Greyhoundcould have been widely popularised by the fact they were Henry VIII's favourite hunting hound.

A Lovely Brace

Diana of the Uplands (1903) Charles W Furse

The Royal Academician (and wonderfully named) Charles Wellington Furse was a noted late 19th Century open-air portrait painter. Diana (modelled by his wife) clearly has her hands full with both hounds and hat…all three obviously wanting to be off! The painting is held at Tate Britain.

The Black Bitch of Linlithgow

In West Lothian, Scotland, sits the royal burgh of Linlithgow. An ancient town, its coat of arms features a greyhound…a black bitch…chained to a tree. History has it that the dog's master was sentenced to death by starvation and was chained to a tree on an island in the middle of the town's loch (lake). It was not known how the man continued to survive until it was discovered his greyhound swam to him every night with food stolen from the town. Despite being admired for her devotion, she was also chained to a tree on a nearby island to suffer the same demise as her master. The townsfolk take their courage and fidelity from the hound and are known proudly as 'black bitches'. A local hostelry, one of Scotland's oldest pubs, also bears the nameThe Black Bitch.Linlithgow is a fine Scottish town…steeped in history and well worth a visit.

Gemma Correll – A Detailed Anatomical Study

The very best anatomical analysis of the greyhound breed we've ever seen!

Check out Gemma's wonderful illustrations on her facebook page here

The Hounds of the Golden Cavalier

I had several fine English greyhounds, whose speed I was anxious to test with that of the antelope, said to be — which I believe — the fleetest of animals.

General George Armstrong Custer,
My Life on the Plains

Read more about Custer and his devotion to his hounds here

Steve Sanderson – Artist

Steve is fan of the 'Northern School' – L.S Lowry, Peter Brook, Alan Lowndes, John Thompson and Liam Spencer and it shines through in his evocative work, as demonstrated in the gritty 'Lancashire Life' (above). You can view his work here.

Windhunde by Norbertine Bresslern-Roth

Bresslern-Roth (Austrian, 1891 – 1978) was the pre-eminent animal artist of contemporary times. She worked as a painter, children's book illustrator, tapestry and ivory miniature artist and graphic artist. The wonderfully named 'Windhunde' above is an example of her linocut work which helped create her popularity, fame and recognition within the international art community. The hounds look drastically underfed (even for hounds)…but let's hope that's just down to artistic interpretation!

Greyhounds by LH Jungnickel

Similar to Bresslern-Roth (above) Jungnickel (Viennese, 1881 – 1965) was a popular animal artist, although during his career he designed glasses, vases, fabrics, wallpaper, carpets, utility graphics and postcards. A busy chap.

Red Dog by Clare Melinsky

Clare Melinsky is a Scottish based woodcut and linocut artist. Over the last thirty years her illustrations have been used in advertising, for labels and packaging, and in editorial work for books, magazines and newspapers.

Greyhound Musculature

These medical illustrations appear a little morbid but are actually fascinating. The secret of the world's second fastest accelerating land animal lies within these diagrams. None of the captions say 'Couch Potato'.

When they argue they're like greyhounds chasing the mechanical rabbit. You go past the same scenery time after time, but you don't see the landscape. You see the rabbit.

Stephen King,
Bazaar of Bad Dreams

An American Icon

16 million passengers a year travelling more than five billion miles between 4,000 destinations on 1,600 vehicles.

Go Greyhound and Leave the Driving to Us!

Art Nouveau Dog Drawing Italian Grayhound

Source: https://www.praisegreys.com/greyhounds-in-art-design-literature-history/