Wednesday 22 June 2016

Woof, woof.


                                  

I've shown this picture before, but as it's a favourite of mine I'm showing it again.

It's an 'American Primitive', painted on a split panel of what looks like hand-hewn Walnut. I imagine it was once part of a cupboard, and not intended to be framed as such. It has been partly 'restored' around the head and mouth.

On the back, in very faded ink, is written.... Mrs Ellen McAulay, Fitts Corner, Wyoming, 1842. No name for the dog, or why she painted him.

On several occasions when visiting dogs have seen the picture, they've put their front feet up against the wall beneath it, and barked. I think Mrs McAulay would have been very amused.

It hangs in our sitting room.



37 comments:

  1. Haven't seen that before - love it.

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  2. It is a lovely picture. Our Italian dogs would bark, "bau, bau" to it.
    Greetings Maria x

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  3. Love primitive animal pictures especially those anatomically incorrect cows! x

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  4. It puts me in the mind of His Masters Voice. I rather like it.

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  5. Nice painting Cro. As it's wearing a collar, presume it must have been a family pet.

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    1. And no doubt a well-loved one, for her to have painted him.

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  6. Fabulous. American folk art is my taste down to a tee. Fell in love with it when I went to New England for my honeymoon.
    Arilx

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    1. I love it too, when I found this one I just had to have it!

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  7. It looks a lot like my beloved first dog who I " lost" 3 years ago next week.. Lovely painting .

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    1. I wonder if Mrs McAulay's dog actually looked like this?

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  8. Yes, that is a nice painting. I wonder if the dogs think so too.

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    1. Yes, I wonder if the original dog actually barked at his own likeness.

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  9. I like this very much. Have you worked out what sort of dog it is? It looks rather like a bull terrier, but prettier.

    I couldn't bring myself to comment on yesterday's post at the time - I'm no prude but - really?? If that was my boy, I'd give him what for!

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    1. I can't imagine what type it is... mongrel I imagine.

      I think the boy's mother would like to do the same. He was in court yesterday for speeding under the influence of cocaine. He's trouble.

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  10. That's rather a nice picture. I like the dog's curly tail.

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    1. I think she must have painted it like that to fit it onto the wood panels.

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  11. Ahh, that's a grand painting. No wonder the dogs react to it. Wouldn't it be interesting to know more about Ellen McAulay?

    Best wishes.

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    1. I wonder if she did other paintings. I've looked for her name on the web; but found nothing.

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    2. I looked, too, with no results.

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  12. Perhaps the dogs were tuning in to the energy of the piece somehow. Great story.

    Jean

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  13. Where did you find it, Cro?

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    1. I bought it at an antique shop along with about five other dog pictures. I negotiated a very good price for the whole lot.

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  14. Your "French cabbage" for John's veggie entry is so cute! Looks like it won't let you in on any of its cabbage-patch's going ons in there. I like its, I'm-not-saying-anything, guilty look!
    X

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  15. I too like American Primitive work Cro - and this fellow is particularly fine. How interesting that dogs seem to recognise one of their ow.
    Also I too love your French cabbage - very clever.

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    1. Yes, I'd always thought that dogs were more in tune with movement and smell than image. I must have been wrong.

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  16. That's a really nice painting, and for one so old it's in great shape.

    I have one print of a painting (not counting military themes) in my living room. It's my wife's. I think it was painted by a fellow named Chigall, it's mostly blue and has a unicorn on it. I took an art appreciation class in college, but alas, not much of it stuck with me.

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    1. It has been quite badly restored by someone around the mouth, but it's in good shape (other than woodworm). Your picture sounds like Chagall; upside down horses, moons, fiddle players, etc. Your wife has good taste.

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  17. -very nice painting. I'd like to think that the curly-tailed pooch was Mrs. McAulay's beloved pet.

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