Twee honden bij een hondenhok 1809 - 1859

Pieter de Goeje created this print of two dogs by a doghouse sometime in the first half of the 19th century. This was a period when class distinctions were sharply defined and the ownership of certain dog breeds was associated with particular social classes. The print depicts a contrast in canine status. One dog, alert and collared, seems to stand guard, while the other rests, relaxed and unbothered, gnawing on what appears to be a bone. It's hard not to read a certain leisure into its repose, a detail that speaks volumes about the lives of pets and their owners in the 1800s. Are these the haves and have nots of the dog world? In a world where roles and identities were rigidly defined, even animals could become emblems of social position. This small, unassuming print serves as a window into a world of privilege, possession, and the quiet dramas of domestic life.