Barking Mad
As the London exhibition 'Portraits of Dogs: from Gainsborough to Hockney' comes to a close, the Stylish Times revisits the show. Plus, canine treats that won't bite
In The Frame
The exhibition Portraits of Dogs: From Gainsborough to Hockney is entering its final two weeks at the Wallace Collection in London. I first posted about it just after it opened and, as that newsletter proved highly popular, I thought I’d update it as a reminder to reserve a ticket before it closes.
Now, I have to say the exhibition is quite a shocker in that it’s one of the kitschiest art shows I’ve seen. The Hockney room and Lucien Freud’s poignant drawing of his beloved whippet are worth the visit alone.
Beyond that, if you are expecting anything as mesmeric as Steve McQueen’s sublime 2009 film, Giardini, where feral dogs take over the abandoned Venice Biennale Pavilion exhibition site in winter, then you might want to exit Mayfair pronto and head East for something a tad more deep and meaningful.
As the Guardian’s Jonathan Jones would have it, here’s what’s in store at the Wallace Collection: “For a moment I was fooled. The show starts with a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci of a dog’s paw: a superb example of his scientific eye for nature. Nearby is a life-sized ancient Roman marble sculpture of two skinny dogs licking each other: the Townley Greyhounds, so lifelike they could almost be guard-dogs preserved in the ash of Pompeii.
“Then it all turns to dogshit. You walk into an entire room of trite, nauseous, overglossed paintings by the 19th-century animal artist Edwin Landseer. Seriously, bring your aesthetic pooper-scooper…”
And so, he goes on. Now, Jones is a very fine art critic indeed, and I can’t disagree with his review. So much so, I honestly can’t imagine how this exhibition was given the go-ahead in our year of 2023. It is as if Queen Victoria (who adored Landseer) curated the show herself. She was a woman of varied talents but an eye for great art was not one of them.
Yet, while initially irritated at the sheer trashiness of most of what was on show, I began to feel quite at home among the ridiculous pink poodles and biscuit-tin woofers in all their sickly sweetness. Because to be honest I’m quite scared of dogs, hence Marley & Me remains one of my favourite films because it features a dog I can well and truly fall for from very much afar – Hollywood, to be precise.
But if you go with an open mind, the highlights are excellent, and the kitsch stuff can be very funny. If you can’t make the show, here are some equally fun canine companions to fall in love within the comfort of your home.
Awooooo
No doggy story is complete without a nod to Hermès classic Awooooo wolf, howling at the moon. Alice Shirley’s 2016 men’s cashmere scarf design for the house also inspired a beautifully enamelled miniature work of art in the form of the Hermès Arceau watch dial, complete with clear, midnight sky, twinkling stars and a pearly sliver of a moon.
Pampered! Moi?
The Louis Vuitton Dog Carrier 40 is the carriage of choice for lapdogs belonging to equally pampered owners and floating Hollywood types. I’m sure that serious dog owners find them utterly ridiculous and a tad irritating. Why empty your mutt into a designer handbag when the boot of a mucky Range Rover will do? And what of that sequined Prada dog collar? Serious types will be polishing their hunting guns just thinking about the stupid owners who spend cash on such appallingly foolish pet frippery. I, however, only wish I had a dog.
Dog’s Dinner
Tiffany & Co has always been good at whimsical accessories, and you might argue that its dog-bone collar is a natural spin-off of Elsa Peretti’s legendary bone cuff jewel design. I wouldn’t though, as the only thing they have in common is silver. There’s more than a whiff of branded tat about this set up, and you can imagine the sizeable metal bone clanking against the ceramic bowls every time the little mite attempts to tuck in. You can’t argue with the duck-egg blue leather collar, though, for it does add a super-sweet touch.
Ruff Stuff
A few doggie jewels are due to come under the hammer in the next week or so, and I’ve picked this frisky little novelty terrier. Designed in gold wirework, with brilliant-cut diamond collar, cabochon sapphire nose and circular-cut synthetic pink sapphire eye, it is estimated to fetch between £600-800 at auction on 17th October.
There are a few Hermès costume jewellery pieces up for sale at the same auction too. Alas, this Collier de Chien ring with typical stud and chain motifs from its current fine jewellery collection is not one of them. One of the most enduring dog-inspired designs of all time the Hermès Collier de Chien motif was created in the 1920s when a client was said to have requested a studded collar for a hunting dog.
It would require heavy pyramid studs to protect the animals from the angry advances of wild boar and the likes. Soon, the design was fancied as a stylish belt by Parisian style setters. Then, the bracelets were launched in 1949. Today, the design is laced through various Hermès collections.