Two Studies of a Dog (from Sketchbook) 1835 - 1839

Francis William Edmonds made this light, informal drawing of two dogs sometime in the early to mid-19th century. He worked in pen and ink on paper. Edmonds was a banker by trade, and he produced these artworks for his own pleasure, rather than to critique institutional norms. But we can still ask questions of this work. The loose style suggests this study was made from life, the dog in front of him. Think about the social status implied here. Edmonds would probably have been an urban professional with some disposable income, and the dog would have been a pampered pet in his home. Looking at the social life of the time, we can tell that dogs were gaining popularity as household pets in the rapidly growing cities of America and Europe. So, this simple drawing offers a small window into the changing social relations of the time. To understand the context, we can always look at letters, diaries, newspapers, and social surveys to understand how people interacted with dogs at this time.