King Charles Spaniels ('The Cavalier's Pets')

King Charles Spaniels were among the most fashionable lap dogs of the Victorian era, favored by the aristocracy since the reign of Charles II. Landseer painted these small spaniels frequently, and his portrayals helped maintain their popularity as companion animals among the British upper classes throughout the 19th century. Landseer's dog portraits occupied a central place in Victorian culture's sentimental engagement with the animal world. His ability to render the individual personality of specific dogs — their intelligence, loyalty, and emotional life — with the full resources of academic portraiture gave animal painting a dignity it had rarely previously possessed. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were among his most enthusiastic collectors of dog subjects, and royal favor transformed him from a fashionable painter into a cultural institution. His anthropomorphized animals — dogs that seemed to think, to grieve, to love — told Victorian audiences stories about the virtues they aspired to in a form they found entirely credible.

The spaniels’ silky coats are rendered with fluid, directional brushstrokes that capture the distinctive long, feathered ears of the breed. Landseer uses rich warm tones of chestnut and white against a muted background.