The Pets and the Materials, by Cornelius Krieghoff, 1860 (The National Gallery of Art)

The Pets and the Materials

“This charming painting is unique in Cornelius Krieghoff‘s œuvre. Two spaniels frolic among the remains of what appears to have been a splendid feast, where a group of friends have eaten, drunk and smoked to their heart’s content. Each element is immediately recognizable, which adds to the work’s appeal. The artist gave it as a Christmas gift to his Quebec City friends Anny, Christopher and Robert O’Connor, as a token of his esteem.” (The National Gallery of Art, Canada)

Cornelius Krieghoff (19 June 1815 – 8 April 1872)

My last two posts have disappeared as I was publishing them.  It’s a loss because of the time I spent constructing these posts, but…

So it occurred to me that you may enjoy looking at two paintings by Krieghoff that differ substantially from the paintings I have used in earlier posts.  They feature dogs.  There are so many dogs in Krieghoff’s paintings that I suspect he always kept a dog.  So did his habitants.  But “The Pets and the Materials” is different and “Jerry” has a name.  He is a pet and Krieghoff has painted his portrait.

Cornelius Krieghoff photographed by M. O. Hammond (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Krieghoff: Encore