El Perro del Pintor 1915

José Garnelo created "El Perro del Pintor," a small oil painting, and right away, you notice how the warm, reddish-pink of the background hums against the dog's golden fur, a dance of color. The surface has this immediacy; you can almost feel Garnelo's hand moving, the brushstrokes thick in places, especially around the dog's expressive eyes. Look at the tail – each stroke seems to capture a sense of movement. It's not about perfect representation, it's more like a feeling, an instant captured in paint. That fleshy pink of the couch feels like the same color as the inside of the dog's mouth. It's the real dog, but it's not a photographic dog, and that's exactly why it feels so full of life. Bonnard often painted his pets. Like Bonnard, I'm sure Garnelo's dog was the best.