Who’s a good model? Who’s a good model? The Dog is!

Dogs have been super cute to look at, play with and be friends with, from the very start of time. If you are anything like us and you swoon every time you see a cute doggy picture, you will understand why throughout history, the canine has served as inspiration and super-duper cute muse for many artists! We have curated some of the cutest artworks which showcase man’s best friend. Take a stroll through our gallery of the tail-waggingest pups in paintings and more!

Besties Furrever in Sculpture!

Besties! (The British Museum)

This terrific twosome hails from around 1 AD – 199 AD, cementing our besties place in history as eternally loved. The artist clearly loved his subject and spent so much time getting every detail just right. The sculpture has captured a super sweet moment between these two pooches and they arena friends forever immortalized! (Ultimate friendship goals!) 

Dogs on household utensils!

Euergides Painter, Athenian red-figure cup, c. 500 B.C., from the Ashmolean Museum.

Doesn’t coffee taste so much better when you have a dog picture on your mug? Who hasn’t splurged at Target on a new cup featuring your fave Fido’s face? The historical equivalent is this little cutie scratching his ear, found on a cup from 500 BC!

Beware of dog!

House of the Tragic Poet

This beautiful mosaic of a dog was discovered on the floor of an excavated home in Pompeii. The words ‘cave canem’ mean beware of the dog.  “Beware of Dog” is a sign, it turns out, that’s as old as time! This version has a bit more character than the typical yellow squares we see on houses today and, if we’re being honest, that’s a face we want to snuggle, not run from! 

Dogs in flight!

Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Toby, Royan, 1923

Pups not only have their place in painting and sculpture, but they are some of the best things to be photographed. This pooch having fun on the beach was captured by Jacques- Henri Lartigue. This French photographer was one of the first child-photographers and his pictures are magical. Case in point: catching this pooch mid- air! What a playful pup – he almost looks like he could be in the doggy ballet!

Paw-ker Face

Keep your paw-ker face! (Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s famous Dogs Playing Poker)

Partly considered a novelty series, partly considered a classic, the Dogs Playing Poker series is immediately recognizable. Who wouldn’t want to play a paw or hand with these friends? Just look at that seasoned poker-playing mug on the bulldog up front. One thing’s for sure, no matter how human and how tough they put on, we’d love to play a round with this group!

Sitting Pretty 

Alfred de Dreux “Pug Dog in a Armchair” #relatable

Dogs sitting like peoples is the cutest thing in the world, and that hasn’t changed since the 1800’s. Clearly the artist was inspired by his own experiences with slightly spoiled pups. “Rebecca, fetch me another bone straight away!” As much as we cater to our canines today, this doesn’t take too much of a stretch of imagination.

Treat Time!

Briton Riviére “Cupboard Love”

Begging is the universal and historical language of dogs everywhere. Just look at those puppy eyes immortalized in paint. “Aww you want a treat?” Even when it’s oil paint on canvas, we can’t resist!

What is art without an emotional connection, and what do we have more of an emotional connection to than dogs? What is your favorite pup-inspired painting?