Gareth Williams, "House and Hound: Dogs in the English Country House"

April 13, 2015 at the Boston Athenæum. The Boston Athenæum is beloved for its tradition of welcoming well-behaved dogs into its beautiful interiors. In this Royal Oak Society lecture, Gareth Williams will discuss the role of dogs in historic, English country houses. Whilst many people focus on humans depicted in portraits upon English country house walls, it is the four-legged canine occupants of stately homes that are considered de rigueur members of a countryside retreat. From gaunt greyhounds shown in early English tapestries to pampered pooches whose beds have the same Colefax & Fowler chintz as their mistress’ sofas, dogs in England’s country houses command a place in history themselves. Depictions of hunting dogs and family pets abound in English country house collections including sculptures, textiles, tapestries, plaster work, and on tableware or porcelain. Country house doggie accoutrements include splendidly wrought silver and gold collars, dog bowls, and kennels designed by architects, and some bereft owners immortalized their pets’ passings with modest gravestones in pet cemeteries or sculpted garden monuments. Whether focusing on country squires’ dogs at English manor houses, members of hunting packs on grand estates, or dogs from the royal households, this illustrated lecture considers the cultural influences and artistic legacy of the English country house dog.