Artists and their Dogs

Shelters are seeing record adoptions during the quarantine, evidently, but that’s not why I got my puppy. After a lifetime of living with cats, my doctor said no more. My doctor said “get a poodle.” Lendy said “get a poodle.” I said I would never get a poodle.

I got my poodle on March 6th, in full ignorance of how our lives were about to change. In these months of quarantine, I have appreciated my new companion immensely. Born on January 1, 2020, this 4 month old puppy who was supposed to be a poodle is now looking more and more like a dachshund – a doxiepoo.

In the midst of a search for dachshunds to compare to my supposed poodle, I caught a picture of Andy Warhol and his dachshund, Hockney and his dachshund, and then Picasso’s too. That sparked a search of famous artists and their dogs. Perhaps this post is too much cuteness. Is that possible? Is this too much? I think not! Let’s get some more!! Please send me dogs and their artists so I can add to this collection.

Andy and Archie

Andy Warhol, previously a cat lover and author of “25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy” was persuaded to get a dog by his boyfriend Jed Johnson. They adopted a short haired dachshund puppy and named him Archie.

Warhol was smitten. He took Archie to his studio, to art openings, and even to restaurants. Archie sat on Andy’s lap, eating bits of food that he was handed. He was always carefully hidden under Andy’s napkin just case a restaurant health inspector happened by.

A couple of years later, Warhol and Johnson decided to add to their family and add another dachshund, Amos, to keep Archie company. Andy stopped taking Archie everywhere with him, knowing the two dogs would keep each other company at home, and Archie would not be lonely.

Hockney and Stanley

Paintings and drawings of Stanley and Boodgie were published in a book in 1998 called David Hockney’s Dog Days.

O’Keeffe and her Chows

“It seems to be my mission in life to wait on a dog” – Georgia O’Keeffe

A neighbor gave Georgia two blue chow puppies for Christmas in 1953. She named them she named Bo and Chia. Georgia became devoted to the chow breed and ended up having six during her lifetime including Bobo, Jinga, and Inca.  She referred to her chows as “Little People.”  

Lucian Freud and his whippets

Freud owned many whippets in his lifetime, several of whom found their way into his paintings. This is not the full collection of his painted pets here. A post of Lucian Freud’s whippets as appearing in his drawings and paintings would be a post in itself!

Emily Carr and her dogs

Emily Carr loved animals. She had many cats, dogs, and even a monkey. She wrote and illustrated a book called Emily Carr and her Dogs. In it, Emily tells the story of her joys and tribulations raising Old English Sheep Dogs in Victoria — especially Flirt, Punk and Loo — from her decision to start a kennel to the sad day when she had to close it. 

Edvard Munch and Fips

Picasso and Lump

Charles Schulz and his dogs

The creator of Snoopy had plenty of good inspirations, starting with a dog in his youth.

---

There it is. A small collection of artists and their dogs. If you have more I can post, please send them my way!

Now please excuse me. It’s time to take the little guy out to pee.