AMONG the earliest forms of human artistic expression are depictions of animals. A native pig painted in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is believed to be at least 45,500 years old and the famous 17,000-year-old cave art in Lascaux, France, comprises hauntingly beautiful representations of stags, bison, cattle and, above all else, horses. Art offers a valuable insight into the dynamic relationship between humans and animals throughout history-from the admiration for creatures vital to human existence shown in cave art to the heavily symbolic meanings attributed to animals in Roman mosaics and Renaissance paintings.
Art has also long reflected their place in our hearts as companions. Affection for domesticated animals is particularly conspicuous in portraits and photography of the Victorian era animal artist Sir Edwin Landseer, a royal favourite, became immensely popular among the general public for the sentimentalism of his work.
Whether we marvel at them or seek companionship from them, animals have become intertwined with human identity and, as such, it is no wonder that artists continue to explore such an indisputable and emotive connection. Today, animal portraits are in high demand, commissioned in the hope of capturing the love and joy they bring to our lives. The resulting artworks not only celebrate the lives of our pets, but also serve to remind us that these four-legged friends-our guides and comforts through the best and darkest of times -remain with us even when they are gone.
'She captures man and dog as one'
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 13 - 20, 2023 (Double Issue)-Ausgabe von Country Life UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 13 - 20, 2023 (Double Issue)-Ausgabe von Country Life UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Tales as old as time
By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth
Do the active farmer test
Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts
SOS: save our wild salmon
Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish
Into the deep
Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel
It's alive!
Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters
There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning
