Eos

Landseer's Eos of 1841 depicts the greyhound belonging to Prince Albert, painted at Windsor as a memorial portrait following the dog's death. Queen Victoria commissioned the painting as a gift for her husband, and it became one of the most intimate and technically accomplished works Landseer produced for the royal family. Eos is shown alone on an armchair with Albert's gloves and top hat, her master's absence subtly indicated — a portrait as memorial combining the emotional directness of animal painting with the elegiac quality of a memorial commission. The painting documents the deep bond between Albert and his greyhound.

The elegant composition presents the greyhound with the dignity and grace appropriate to a royal pet. Landseer's virtuoso rendering of the dog's sleek coat and alert posture demonstrates his supreme ability to capture animal character and physical beauty.