The Wallace Collection, a museum in London, England, is hosting an exhibition titled Portraits of Dogs: From Gainsborough to Hockney. Open until October 15 t h , it fe at u res dozen s of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and drawing whose subjects are always dogs.

According to the institution, this is the first major exhibit dedicated entirely to artwork about dogs. “The way that our relationship with dogs – that unexplainable, loving bond – transgresses into art history is fascinating, and a greater reflection of society,” explained its curator Xavier Bray to the BBC website.

The most ancient item is a marble sculpture portraying two greyhounds that dates back to the end of the first century. Visitors to Portraits of Dogs will also see a drawing by Italian Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): a study of the front left paw possibly belonging to a hunting dog.

Other artworks that stand out include those that portray Queen Victoria’s pets. She ruled over Great Britain between 1837 and 1901. The dogs Tilco, Hector, Nero, and Dash were painted by the artist Edwin Landseer and are shown in the exhibition next to etchings by the monarch herself.

It is also possible to view more recent artworks, including a set of 40 paintings by David Hockney, from 1995. Creating these artworks, with images of his dogs Stanley and Boodgie (two daschunds), helped the Br it ish a r t ist go t h rough a difficult period, after the death of a friend. “I wanted desperately to paint something loving. I felt such a loss of love that I wanted to deal with it in some way,” said Hockney at the time.

Sources: BBC, Superinteressante, The Guardian, and The Wallace Collection.

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