Wenceslaus Hollar (Bohemian, 1607-1677)
after Adriaen Jacobz Matham (Dutch, 1599-1660)
White Dog
INV-1021
Wenceslaus Hollar (Bohemian, 1607-1677)
after Adriaen Jacobz Matham (Dutch, 1599-1660)1649
engravingprint
Date
1649
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 7.7 × 12.2 cm (3 1/16 × 4 13/16 in.); Sheet: 15.5 × 21.2 cm (6 1/8 × 8 3/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of James Wells
Images of dogs in the early modern period could have allegorical or moral meanings or simply offer literal portraits. Wenceslaus Hollar’s profile study of a popular type of dog likely presents its sitter as a status symbol as well as someone’s pet. While the untamed lion-like mane could belong to a small poodle, this engraving is sometimes thought to represent a Bolognese dog, an Italian breed owned by and portrayed with members of the Gonzaga family in the sixteenth century and later idolized by Catherine the Great of Russia.