william wegman Archives - Art Class Curator

Inside: There is more to dogs in art than just dogs playing poker! Check out 25 of these fetching examples of dogs in art.

Next week is Chinese New Year which starts the year of the dog! To celebrate the year of the dog and to honor the newest member to my family (meet my new buddy Vader Steve Ingram at the bottom of this post), I present to you 25 awesome dogs in art!

Dogs Playing Poker

Growing up I had a print of Dogs Playing Poker in my room. I knew nothing about it, but I just thought it was awesome. For this post on dogs in art, I did a little research and learned more about what I originally thought was just one artwork. It turns out that Cassius Marcellus Coolidge painted 16 dog paintings with 9 of them being poker scenes. Others include dogs playing football, dogs having romantic dinners, and dogs in the courtroom. Check out 15 more things you should know about Dogs Playing Poker on Mental Floss.

These dogs in art would be a great conversation piece with your classes. Why are they not considered “fine art” or given a lot of critical acclaim in the art world? Why are the dogs playing poker seen as a joke in the artworks rather than as serious work?

Dogs in Art

Enjoy this collection of dog art. I hope you find one you connect with!

Dogs in Art - William Wegman, Blue Period with Banjo, 1980 — William Wegman, *Blue Period with Banjo*, 1980

Dogs in Art - Edwin Henry Landseer, Laying Down the Law, 1840 — Edwin Henry Landseer, *Laying Down the Law*, 1840

Dogs in Art - Francisco Goya, The Dog, circa 1819-1823 — Francisco Goya, *The Dog*, circa 1819-1823

Dogs in Art - Franz Marc, Red Dog, 1911 — Franz Marc, *Red Dog*, 1911

Dogs in Art - Frida Kahlo, Itzcuintli Dog with Me, 1938 — Frida Kahlo, *Itzcuintli Dog with Me*, 1938

Dogs in Art - Giacomo Balla, Dynamism of a Dog in a Leash, 1912 — Giacomo Balla, *Dynamism of a Dog in a Leash*, 1912

Dogs in Art - Jeff Koons Puppy, 1992 — Jeff Koons, *Puppy*, 1992

Dogs in Art - Joan Miro, Figures and Dog in Front of the Sun, 1949 — Joan Miro, *Figures and Dog in Front of the Sun*, 1949

Dogs in Art - Joshua Reynolds, Miss Bowles, 1775 — Joshua Reynolds, *Miss Bowles*, 1775

Dogs in Art - Marisol Escobar, Women and Dog, 1964 — Marisol Escobar, *Women and Dog*, 1964

Dogs in Art - Mary Cassatt, Little Girl in a Blue Armchair, 1878 — Mary Cassatt, *Little Girl in a Blue Armchair*, 1878

Dogs in Art - Michael Sowa, Their Masters Voice — Michael Sowa, *Their Masters Voice*

Dogs in Art - Otto Dix, Hugo Erfurth with Dog, 1926 — Otto Dix, *Hugo Erfurth with Dog*, 1926

Dogs in Art - Paul Gauguin, Still Life with Three Puppies, 1888 — Paul Gauguin, *Still Life with Three Puppies*, 1888

Dogs in Art - Pompeii Italy, Beware of the Dog — Pompeii Italy, *Beware of the Dog*

Dogs in Art - Rufino Tamayo, Moon Dog, 1973 — Rufino Tamayo, *Moon Dog*, 1973

Dogs in Art - Titian, Portrait of Charles V with a Dog, 1532 — Titian, *Portrait of Charles V with a Dog*, 1532

Dogs in Art - Titian, Portrait of Clarissa Strozzi, 1542 — Titian, *Portrait of Clarissa Strozzi,* 1542

Dogs in Art - Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hata Rokurozaemon with His Dog, 1797 — Utagawa Kuniyoshi, *Hata Rokurozaemon with His Dog*, 1797

Dogs in Art - Vittore Carpaccio, Two Venetian Ladies, 1490 — Vittore Carpaccio, *Two Venetian Ladies*, 1490

Dogs in Art - William Hogarth, Painter and His Pug, 1745 — William Hogarth, *Painter and His Pug*, 1745

Which was your favorite dog in art? Let me know in the comments!

As promised, here is a picture of my new doggie, Vader! He just fell into our laps last month, and we just couldn’t be happier with him!

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Dogs Playing Poker

Dogs in Art

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