A small black-and-white dog on its hind legs performs before a middle-aged man, who lies on the grass. The man’s long white coat with a salmon-pink lining and white gaiters have the appearance of a theatrical costume, rather than everyday clothes. The turquoise tinge to his hair adds to a sense of artifice. His raised hand and attentive gaze suggest the man is teaching the dog a trick – perhaps a balancing act related to the red object on its head, which may be the man’s hat. To the right, a horse grazes. Just above its head, a reddish-brown shape in the background is a figure hiding in the hedgerow, which looks out at the man and dog, perhaps not quite sure what they are doing.
Born in France of Scottish descent, John Lewis Brown specialised in hunting and military pictures, as well as studies of horses and dogs. As here, his pictures sometimes have a humorous aspect to them, while also showing his firm grasp of animal anatomy. He was also an excellent etcher and watercolourist, skills which are evident in the fluid brushstrokes used to create structure, such as the foreshortened view of the horse.
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