The Dogs 1719

Editor: So this is Claude Gillot's "The Dogs," an etching. It's small, but the composition feels so dynamic! What story do you think Gillot is trying to tell here? Curator: It feels like a snapshot of organized chaos, doesn't it? Gillot, in his witty way, used animals to mirror human society. Are these dogs hunting, playing, or squabbling? It's really hard to tell! Editor: I hadn't thought about it mirroring human society! That changes everything. Curator: It's all about the subtext. The Age of Enlightenment was dawning, and artists were using satire to question established norms. Editor: It's amazing how much can be packed into such a tiny piece. I’ll never look at a pack of dogs the same way.