La Dame et le Chien

Georges Clairin, Sarah Bernardt, 1876

Last Friday I gave a lesson about the posters of the Belle Epoque,

which reminded me of how much I enjoy that period, and of how much 

lovely stuff I is hiding in my (by now really big) image archives.

So here's a sequel to a 2010 post, celebrating a time when 

the elegance of hounds and the fashion of ladies 

seemed to be made for each other

G.L. Sormani, 1900

Edward Penfield, 1908

Bernard Boutet de Monvel, 1912

Coles Phillips, 1915

Otto Poertzel, The Aristocrats, 1920s

Georges Barbier, 1922

Coleth

Jean Dupas, Woman with Stole, 1929

Art Deco postcard

 Louis Icart, Femme aux Levriers, 1929

Jean-Gabriel Domergue, Woman with Greyhounds, 1930

Erté, Symphony in Black

Dogs and their Women

Michael Sowa

I want to thank all of you who have commented, donated, written emails

or otherwise supported our family since the onset of Emma's illness. 

I am so grateful and happy to have such a wonderful group of readers!

The good news is for now Emma is doing very well, so much so that we tend

to forget the veterinarian's dire diagnosis. I really hope this will last,

but let's take it one day at a time. I will try to thank all of you individually, 

meanwhile this post about dogs and the women who love them is for you.

Itō Jakuchū

Louis Bonnet, 1775

Marion Peck

Lucian Freud, 1951

Camilla Engman

Marco Cazzato

Jack Potter, 1960s, thanks to leifpeng

Romaine Brooks, 1924

Ana Juan

Pierre Bonnard, 1922

Tadahiro Uesugi

 Lauren Nassef

Bric-à-brac Creatures

 Many thanks to Miquel Aparici for writing and inviting me into his magical world.

Just looking at his artworks makes me happy, hope to see them in person someday! 

Miquel's wonderful recycled sculptures are assemblages of disparate vintage materials

that he collects from junkyards and antique sellers. He then catalogues, stores and 
transforms them in his workshop located inside an old industrial ship near Barcelona.

Thanks to La Factoría Plástica and pad blog for the studio photos.

A fantastic box of toys made for a lucky someone called Lucas. 

On Miquel's website you can also find his series of animals painted with coffee, 

sugar and a teaspoon. And check out his blog to get the latest news!

Mad Men & Crazy Critters - 6th episode: Hounds of Love

Edward Penfield, Harper's poster, 1897

Traditionally employed by the upper classes in coursing, hunting and racing, 

the hound's beautiful breeds were also put to good use by many commercial 

and decorative artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Steinlen, Clinique Chéron,1905

Auguste Roubille, Spratt's Patent,1909 

Lucian Zabel, Excelsior Tires,1909 

thanks to susanlenox's Vintage German Ilustration flickr set

Julius Gipkens, Heinemann's Rohrmöbel, 1912

thanks to Ștefan Lucuţ's Baubauhaus flickr set

Both Art Nouveau's love of elegant and curvilinear silhouettes 

and Art Deco's fascination with speed and all things streamlined 

found an ideal subject in these dogs' graceful and sleek bodies.

Carter Housh, McCall's Magazine cover, February 1914

from MagazineArt.org

Two posters by Ludwig Hohlwein, 1912 and 1927

thanks to Susan Lenox and Ștefan Lucuţ on flickr

Baldrich, ads for Derma-Calber dentifrice and cosmetics, 1920

thanks to Art Deco blog

Dutch poster for the 1916 Utrecht Dog Show and

Scena Illustrata cover by Paul Valentin(?), 1927

thanks to Jan Willemsen's Old Posters flickr set

In the 1920s hounds had become a popular fashion accessory, 

appearing in hundreds of photos and illustrations along with 

the pure, elongated lines of the female style of the era.

But that will be dealt with more at lenght in a future post!