Spring 2002 - New Acquisitions

Fox Terriers, pastel by Arthur Wardle. Gift of Walter F. Goodman

Scottie and Fox Terriers, pastel by Arthur Wardle. Gift of Walter F. Goodman.

Master McGrath, handcolored lithograph by Hunt (English). Ca. 1880.

The Mothers, engraving by James George Zobell after Eugene-Joseph Verboeckhoven. Printed by Henry Graves and Co. 1872.

Tricolor French Hounds, by Charles Olivier de Penne.

Two lovely Arthur Wardle works of art were received as gift donations from Museum Board Director Walter F. Goodman. Although Arthur Wardle (1864-1949) is well-known for his exquisite animal portraits in oil, he was equally proficient in pastel and watercolor, receiving membership in the Pastel Society in 1911, and elected a member of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolors in 1922. A celebrated master of the purebred dog portrait, Wardle knew breed standards so well that it is believed he would often improve the appearance of his subjects to please the owners. Regardless, Wardle most probably painted every breed of dog in England during his lifetime. In addition to commissioned sales and fine art prints, Wardle illustrated the Non-sporting, Sporting, and Terrier volumes of Lee's series Modern Dogs in the 1890s. Plus, some 250 of his paintings were reproduced on collectible cigarette cards, and at least 80 paintings and watercolors were reproduced on postcards.

The lively pastel head study of two Fox Terriers is a welcome addition to the Museum's Wardle collection and a popular pose selected by the artist. The second Wardle gift features one of the artist's favorite themes, a pastel portrait of a Scottie and two Fox Terriers, in a scene illustrating the three dogs going to ground.

The Waterloo Cup was considered to be the greatest Greyhound sporting event for more than 100 years. Established in 1836, the prestigous coursing event was held on the Altcar estate of the Earl of Sefton in England. The Museum's collection of several important works of art associated with this famous event has been enhanced by the recent gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kalstone of a 19th century hand-colored lithograph printed by Henry Graves & Co. of The Celebrated Master McGrath, rendered by the British artist known as Hunt.

The Greyhound named Master McGrath was known for his speed, and credited as Thrice Winner of the Waterloo Cup 1868, 1869, and 1871 (as noted in the title of the piece engraved at the lower, center margin of the image.) According to legend, Master McGrath was named for the Irish orphan who reared him. Under the ownership of Lord Lurgan, the dog became one of the most famous of all coursing Greyhounds, and in 1871 the celebrated dog was presented at court at the command of Queen Victoria.

An impressive 19th century James George Zobell engraving is a recent gift to the Museum by the William Secord Gallery. The image, which depicts a Collie herding sheep, was originally painted by Eugene-Joseph Verboeckhoven and is typical of the artist's highly-finished, academic style. An early 19th century Flemish painter, Verboeckhoven may be better known for his portraits of domestic animals, even though his dog subjects include a commissioned portrait for Leopold I of Belgium of the Queen's 'Batelier' dog (resembling a rough-coated Basset). Engravings of Verboeckhoven's paintings were not uncommon, providing the popular world-class artist with a means to keep up with demand for his work.

A second gift by the William Secord Gallery of a 19th century lithograph titled Tricolor French Hounds, is the work of French artist, Charles Olivier de Penne. Best known for his portraits of French hounds preparing for the hunt or resting after the hunt, de Penne most often used the forests of Broceliande in Brittany, France as the setting for his hound and hunting scenes.

De Penne had a deep love for the hounds he painted in oil and watercolor, and his paintings exhibit a keen understanding of anatomy and a rich, painterly approach associated with the work of the Barbizon School. The hounds depicted in this lithograph are Anglo-Francais Tricolor Hounds, descending principally from English Foxhounds and Tricolor Poitevins. This lovely print is currently on display in the exhibit gallery of the Hall of Fame.

The sponsors of the 2002 Art Show at the Dog Show continued their tradition of donating to the Museum the year's Best in Show winner of the contemporary fine arts juried competition devoted exclusively to canine art. The Museum is delighted to add Mary Lynn Machado's winning black-and-white photograph entitled "Sol Soul" of a Wire Fox Terrier to its contemporary art collection. A Bedlington Terrier figurine, numbered 134/150, was also received by the Museum, a gift of Dr. Lee A. Reason.