See Fetching Portraits of Man’s Best Friend in a New Exhibition All About Dogs

Dogs have appeared in art for thousands of years: The ancient Egyptians depicted their pups in frescoes. Meanwhile, Aztec artists often featured the xoloitzcuintli (the Mexican hairless dog) in their work.

Now, a group exhibition in New York is honoring how the tradition has continued into the 20th and 21st centuries. “Dog Days of Summer,” which is now open at the Timothy Taylor Gallery, is all about man’s best friend.

“There are two things in this world that I love above all else: every single dog on earth, and summertime,” writes Hyperallergic’s Rhea Nayyar. “Nothing short of an unexpected volcano eruption could have stopped me from beelining to ‘Dog Days of Summer.’”

More than 60 works examine the special relationship between artist and pup. Per a statement from the gallery, the show “offers up a collective portrait of our mutual evolution with our canine companions, in life and in art.”

The exhibition features paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and sculptures made between 1915 and the present. The 47 artists on view include both established names (like Grandma Moses and Robert Mapplethorpe) and newer ones.

“Artmaking is a famously solitary process. What would art of the last century have been without such faithful studio mates as William Wegman’s Weimaraners or Pablo Picasso’s (ungenerously named) dachshund Lump?” says the gallery in the statement. “A symbol of fidelity, protection, playfulness and unconditional love, canines pop up in the paintings of Titian, Jan van Eyck, John Singer Sargent and Gustave Courbet, among countless other masters.”

Some of the artists on view—such as Wegman, who is known for his whimsical photographs of Weimaraners—frequently feature canines in their work. Others are simply dabblers, like Justin Liam O’Brien. His painting, Hungry Borzoi (2024), shows a pup with a long muzzle eyeballing a cherry on a nearby plate.

The artworks showcase a variety of breeds, including big and small, fluffy and short-haired, whimsical and serious. One painting by Hilary Pecis depicts a small chihuahua perched on a decorative pillow. Another by Sean Landers captures a majestic yellow lab gazing serenely ahead against a backdrop of an ocean.

“Though the featured works [are] united as lovingly rendered homages to our ancient and affectionate symbiosis with the dogs, it’s brilliant to see how each artist interprets the purest interspecies relationship,” writes Hyperallergic. “Humor and adoration, fidelity and companionship, beauty and form, and an unfettered appreciation for canine quirks encompass the salon-style exhibition.”

Of course, dogs are welcome to accompany their humans to the show. The gallery even has water bowls and a glass jar filled with treats for art-loving canines.

“Dog Days of Summer” is on view at the Timothy Taylor Gallery in New York through August 23.

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.