Maybe a Dog

Van Dyck's portrait of the Duke of Richmond and Lennox depicts the duke as the epitome of aristocratic composure and casual ease. The duke's blonde lovelock cascades over his lace collar, and he proudly displays the emblem of the Order of the Garter, England's highest order of chivalry. This portrait may commemorate his investiture in November 1633.

The presence of a greyhound resting its muzzle on the duke's hip symbolizes the virtues of loyalty and alludes to the noble pursuit of hunting. These symbols reflect aspects of the duke's character and interests.

Jan Steen was a master of self-deprecating humor, and his paintings often depicted his own chaotic household. In the painting "Merry Company on a Terrace," the focal point is Steen's wife, who gazes at the viewer while holding an empty wineglass. Steen himself is positioned at the far left, his face flushed from drinking and wearing a comical hat. Alongside him is Hans Worst, a theatrical character recognizable from a nearby work by Hals, sporting a sausage in his cap.

The painting is a humorous and relatable representation of family life, and it captures the chaos and disorder that can sometimes be found in even the most well-intentioned households. The phrase "a household by Jan Steen" is still used in the Netherlands today to describe a chaotic and disorderly home, a testament to the enduring impact of Steen's work.

In Fragonard's paintings, the degree of "finish" is relative. In his painting "The Love Letter," the artist applies energetic brushstrokes of varying thickness over a brown tone. These brushstrokes skillfully capture the sunlight that illuminates the central elements of the canvas: the woman's cap, powdered face, flowers, dress, and the dog.

It is important to view this painting not as a traditional portrait, but as a genre scene. Genre scenes depict everyday life, and "The Love Letter" captures a significant theme of the eighteenth century: the love letter. The appreciation of this artwork goes beyond the subject matter; it is also about admiring Fragonard's painting technique and how he skillfully depicts the scene.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze never traveled to Russia, so it is likely that Varvara Nikolaevna Golitsyna who married married Prince Sergei Sergeyevich Gagarin visited Paris shortly before or after her wedding. The portrait shows her in a formal pose, and her dress resembles the dresses worn by Marie Antoinette in the early 1780s. Tragically, she passed away at the young age of thirty-nine.

A young aristocratic family poses for a portrait in a room decorated with classical allusions. The countess's dress hints at a classical influence, while her husband wears a stylish costume reminiscent of the fashion seen in Van Dyck's portraits from a century earlier. The painting presents a fashionable portrayal of domestic happiness, but the marriage was far from harmonious. Two years after the portrait was painted, the countess left her husband for a lover. After her death, he remarried the actress Elizabeth Farren, whose portrait is also at The Met.

Giacomo Ceruti was nicknamed "Pitocchetto" (the little beggar) for his realistic paintings of people from the lower classes. This painting shows a maidservant carrying her mistress's dog. The painting is direct and unidealized, and it combines humor in the depiction of the spoiled animal and the woman's unflattering display of teeth. However, there is also an unexpected dignity conveyed through her direct gaze and confidently outstretched hand. Ceruti's personality remains somewhat mysterious, but his artworks were eagerly collected by enthusiasts across northern Italy.

In this painting, we see an elderly man gently cradling his pug close to his face, reminiscent of how we might pose for a photograph with our beloved pets. After relocating to Venice in 1736, he was exposed to the pan-European fascination with foreign attire, which is subtly referenced in the acorn-shaped buttons on the man's coat. While departing from his earlier grittier subjects, Ceruti continued to skillfully capture the expressive and sentimental aspects of individual faces. An artistic touch is evident as Ceruti inscribes delicate swirls into the man's beard using the wet paint on the handle end of his brush."