Twee studies van een liggende hond 1821 - 1886

Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen made these two studies of a lying dog with pencil and chalk on paper. Brugghen was working in the Netherlands in the mid-19th century, during a period of great social change. The Industrial Revolution was transforming Dutch society, and the art world was also in flux. Artists were increasingly breaking away from traditional academic styles and exploring new ways of representing the world around them. Animal portraiture became increasingly fashionable, and the rise of pet ownership reflected the changing relationship between humans and animals at this time. Brugghen's decision to focus on a humble subject matter can be seen as a reflection of these wider social and cultural changes. Art historians can gain a deeper understanding of the context in which an artwork was produced by researching the prevailing social, economic, and political conditions of the time. In this way, we can appreciate how art both reflects and shapes the world around us.