Aroma Pets

Discover historic artworks honouring our canine companions

The National Horse Racing Museum’s latest exhibition tells the compelling tales of more than 30 historic dogs, from an elegant greyhound to a heroic German shepherd, through a selection of paintings, sculptures, photography and literature.

Opening on 28 July, ‘The Good Companions: the Many Roles of our Canine Friends’ will feature works that span three centuries. The earliest are Thomas Gainsborough’s A Gentleman with a Dog in a Wood, from about 1746, and William Hogarth’s wonderful self-portrait with his pug, painted in the same year, while the most recent is Elisabeth Frink’s charming cast-bronze sculpture of a terrier from 1992, titled Childhood.

Curated by Katherine Field, the exhibition will follow three distinct themes: dogs as companions, dogs as heroes and sporting dogs. The former will proudly display Alfred Munnings’ Pekingese pooch, named Black Knight, who was something of a celebrity in his time – Munnings’ wife Violet took him everywhere she went, to racing events, to grand receptions and even to the Prime Minister’s country residence, Chequers. In this section will also be Edward

VII’s wire-haired fox terrier, Caesar, who is poignantly photographed following the King’s funeral procession in 1910.

Of the heroic hounds, we will proudly see those who helped save human lives during times of conflict – such as Jet, the German shepherd who rummaged through rubble looking for people during the Blitz, and Rip, a search terrier-cross for Poplar Aid Raid Precautions.

The latter theme will feature the sprightly spaniels of Francis Hayman’s Thomas Nuthall and his Friend Hambleton Custance (circa 1748) and George Stubbs’ A Spaniel (1776), where the canine in question is depicted with is nose sniffing the ground.

Also on display are a series of hunting scenes in Robert Bevan’s 1898 lithographs, and a mezzotint by William Ward of two energetic water dogs carrying a stick together from around 1800.

The works collated for ‘The Good Companions’ reflect the enduring bond between humans and their dogs – as members of the family, as sporting partners and as man’s best friend.

‘The Good Companions: the Many Roles of our Canine Friends’ runs from 31 July to 1 November at the National Horse Racing Museum, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8.

Reference: Town and Country Brooke Theis 6 hrs ago: 20thJuly 2020