Mops 

Carl Reichert painted this lifelike Mops, or pug, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, immortalizing this little dog with oil on canvas. Note the dog collar, bearing a heraldic shield; in centuries past, coats of arms were emblems of family and status, signifiers of lineage and valor. Even this dog tag continues that age-old tradition! In ancient times, dogs were symbols of fidelity and vigilance, often depicted guarding tombs. But here, the heraldic dog has become a pampered pet, a far cry from Cerberus, the monstrous hound guarding the gates of the Underworld. Yet, like the guardian dogs of old, this pug seems to gaze directly at us, the viewer, its eyes wide, as if to say, "Remember." The past is never truly past, and even in the most domestic of scenes, echoes of ancient symbols and primal emotions linger. We carry the weight of history with us.