DOGS IN ART

In this Swiss import, translated from French, a human and an orange tabby conduct a tour of art featuring dogs throughout history.

As in 2023’s Dogs Who Work, Aloise and Tissot once more spotlight our four-legged friends, but this time, they focus on the role that canines have played in art, from symbols of wealth and loyalty in Paolo Veronese’s painting The Wedding at Cana (1563) to agents of aggression and danger in Banksy’s mural Choose Your Weapon (2010). The entries, each accompanied by a caricaturelike illustration, are divided by type: painting, photography, street art, and sculpture. Text boxes or bubbles offer facts, including title, artist, country of origin, and brief details. A tan-skinned guide, clad in a flowered skirt and red beret, adds commentary, while the cat provides comic relief, sometimes playing the philistine. An introductory map emphasizes the book’s historical and global scope, highlighting, for instance, rock art in Saudi Arabia dating between 7000 and 6000 B.C.E. The range of artists is diverse, from Frida Kahlo, Annie Leibovitz, and Miss Tic to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fernando Botero, and Teru Ando. Both author and illustrator approach their work with an enticing playfulness, as in the entry on Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dogs, though some adults may be disturbed by the depiction of urine and excrement in Basquiat’s Dealer’s Dog.

A child-friendly approach to art history, likely to spark interest in the originals and inspire gallery visits.