No. 1037 Pearl the Black Jackfield Staffordshire Dog and Her Portrait

An antique, c.1860-1870 English Staffordshire spaniel dog, known as a "Jackfield" for the black glaze applied over red earthenware; this one has a separate front leg (extremely rare model). Jackfield Ware became popular following Prince Albert's death in 1861, as the country joined Queen Victoria in mourning. The figure measures 7" x 4.5" x 9.5". The dog's portrait is painted in oils on board, with a pearl grey-white background, and is in a vintage, ornate giltwood frame with black velvet inner border, measuring 13.25" x 15.25".

THE HISTORY: In the 19th century, Staffordshire spaniels kept watch on countless English hearths, creamy white earthenware dogs with gilt chains and solemn, slightly startled eyes. Modelled on the King Charles spaniels beloved by Queen Victoria, they were mass-produced in the potteries of Staffordshire and sold as facing pairs for the mantel, window sill, or bedside table. Time has left each dog with its own chips, crazing, and quirks of expression, which are the tiny survivors of Victorian domestic life.

THE COLLECTION: These paintings pair antique Staffordshire spaniels with their own oil portraits, as if the mantelpiece dogs have finally sat for the grand canvases they deserve.  In these paintings, I treat them as sitters: patient, dignified, and a little absurd, their portraits turning a familiar piece of English folk pottery into a family of minor household deities.