A Pair of Setters 1913

Editor: Here we have Alexander Pope's "A Pair of Setters," painted in 1913 using oil paints. What strikes me first is this wonderful sense of loyalty, almost a stoic watchfulness in the dogs’ expressions. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Oh, it's the very essence of companionship rendered in oil, isn’t it? Look how Pope captures the light catching the sleek fur of the setter on the right, and the attentive gleam in their eyes, almost as if they're expecting us. It's not merely a depiction, but a silent dialogue between species. Editor: That dialogue you mention is interesting. Does the academic and realist style help convey that? I mean, it feels so lifelike, almost photographic, allowing for a deeper emotional connection. Curator: Precisely. Pope uses that hyperrealism to elevate the mundane to the meaningful. It’s a genre painting, certainly, a slice of life from 1913 but also an invitation. Consider the placement of the dead birds – a backdrop to privilege and prosperity. And that backdrop... doesn’t it remind you a little of stage set, creating this air of…anticipation? What are we waiting for? Editor: So, the artist seems to invite us to look at our relationship with animals. The dead birds bring to mind a contrast between domesticity and hunting. I hadn't picked that up at first! Curator: It’s that tension, that unspoken narrative that gives the painting its lingering power. Almost, it feels, like we too are being observed. Perhaps not judging us – merely, assessing... And what have *we* brought to the relationship? Editor: That’s really made me rethink the whole image, it is as though they're silently sizing us up. I'll never look at a dog painting the same way again. Curator: Ah, well then, Alexander Pope has worked his subtle magic, hasn’t he? It always makes for a better viewing experience when an image changes how we think, doesn't it?