Portrait of an Extraordinary Musical Dog (Primary Title)
Philip Reinagle, English, 1749 - 1833 (Artist)
Much argument has been made over the meaning of this image. It has been seen as an exemplar of successful spaniel breeding, as a satire on human infant prodigies, or as loyalist propaganda (the music is sometimes identified as “God save the King/Queen”). Without a doubt, however, the artist must have had a strong general appreciation for the remarkable intelligence of dogs if not a somewhat comic attitude to this “extraordinary” specimen.
not signed
Paul Mellon Collection
2018-2019: "A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the VMFA", National Sporting Museum & Library, Middleburg, VA, April 13 - July 22, 2018; Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN, February 2 - May 5, 2019; Frick Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, June 15 - September 8, 2019
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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