THE LOST ART OF THE DOG COLLAR + THE ST. BERNARD BARREL | Museum Curator | Claudia Pfeiffer

Claudia Pfeiffer is the Deputy Director & Head Curator of the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia. We begin on their recent exhibition about the art of the dog collar: a haunting cast from the eruption of Vesuvius; an ancient "Beware of Dog" mosaic; spiked collars & regal collars. Claudia describes some of the most striking paintings from the exhibition: a theatrical Amsterdam dog market; a mastiff baying a poacher; a lion hunt; & an allegory about the father of cynicism.  From there we switch from dogs to horses and hear about their anatomy & movement as captured by art, including Muybridge's famous horse photographs. To wrap up this dog-lover & art history-lover episode, Claudia tells the lore of Barry the St. Bernard and his iconic barrel flask. 

Plan a visit to The National Sporting Library & Museum

Music provided by Ars Lyrica Houston

"Les Indes Galantes - Entrée les Sauvages"
Written by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Performed by Ars Lyrica Houston

"Fandango from Quintet No. 4, G 448"
Written by Luigi Boccherini
Performed by Ars Lyrica Houston

"Propiñán de Melyor and Si habrá en este Baldrés"
Written by anonymous
Performed by The Crumhorn Collective
Courtesy of Ars Lyrica Houston

Reference Images:

• Cast of Pompeii watch dog
• "Beware the Dog" Pompeii mosaic 
• The Amsterdam Dog Market  by Abraham Hondius [c. 1671-1672]
• Steer & Mastiff Pulling a Cart by Sid Franckett [1910]
• The Poacher at Bay by Richard Ansdell [1865]
• The Lion Hunt attributed to Paul de Vos [1590-1678]
• Alexander and Diogenes by Sir Edwin Landseer [1860's]
• The Anatomy of the Horse by George Stubbs [1766]
• The Horse in Motion by Eadweard Muybridge [1878]
• Example of improper horse gallop by George Stubbs
• Salmon and Trout on a Riverbank by John Bucknell Russell [1874]
•  Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler by Sir Edwin Landseer [1820]

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