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White Dog

A work made of etching on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of etching on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1649

Artist:

Wenceslaus Hollar (Bohemian, 1607-1677)
after Adriaen Jacobz Matham (Dutch, 1599-1660)

About this artwork

Images of dogs in the early modern period could have allegorical or moral meanings or simply offer literal portraits. Wenceslaus Hollar’s profile study of a popular type of dog likely presents its sitter as a status symbol as well as someone’s pet. While the untamed lion-like mane could belong to a small poodle, this engraving is sometimes thought to represent a Bolognese dog, an Italian breed owned by and portrayed with members of the Gonzaga family in the sixteenth century and later idolized by Catherine the Great of Russia.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar

Title

White Dog

Place

Bohemia (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1649

Medium

Etching on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 7.7 × 12.2 cm (3 1/16 × 4 13/16 in.); Sheet: 15.5 × 21.2 cm (6 1/8 × 8 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of James Wells

Reference Number

1984.125

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/102180/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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