17th Century, Scene With Two Little Dogs

17th century

Scene with two little dogs

Oil on canvas, cm 60 x 53 with frame 80 x 73

The painting in question, an oil on canvas referring to the seventeenth century, depicts two dogs sitting on the ground whose attention is directed indistinctly towards a distant point, perhaps called to the attention by their master. In the foreground there is a wide-brimmed hat adorned by a thick plumage of red and blue, typical heraldic colors, belonging perhaps to the family of the little dogs depicted. The red and blue are also the colors of the bows tied to the necks of the two animals. Next to the hat is a sword handle and, finally, a sheet of paper with an inscription not clearly legible. The above-mentioned sheet contains numbers 1 and 6, which, assuming that this is the date of the written document, supports the thesis that the painting was made in the seventeenth century. The canvas is distinguished by the rendering of the animal’s coat as well as the lively muzzle of the same of great naturalness and expressive truth, typical of the painting of this century. The dog is a symbol of loyalty, vigilance, friendship, obedience and gratitude. But the dog is also a reminder of the ancient hunting trips between lords and nobles. The breeds usually represented in heraldic coats of arms are greyhounds, mastiffs and bracks but other races may also appear although less frequently.

The object is in good condition