Study of a Dog

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer

1820–73 · Black chalk heightened with white and red chalk · Drawings and Prints

The careful preparations that underpinned Landseer's accomplishments as an animal painter are revealed here. Compared to traditional French three color chalk drawings, the Englishman's technique is rugged and focused on anatomy. His primary concern is with the distinctive shape of the dog's head and its intent expression. A lightly sketched human hand holding a cloth in the right foreground reveals how the animal's attention was held long enough for the artist to capture its form on paper.

Artist

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer

Date

1820–73

Medium

Black chalk heightened with white and red chalk

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of Mary Cushing Fosburgh, 1978