Throughout the history of art, dogs have symbolised loyalty and vigilance as well as power structures or the dark depths of human nature, as is shown in works such as Schongauer’s “Ecce Homo” (ca. 1475) or Dix’s “Match Dealer” (1920). Their depiction has always reflected not only the ever-changing relationship between humans and animals but has also been a mirror for the developments in our society and our very identity. As cultural archetypes, the quadrupeds raise profound questions about the meaning of social norms:
Why are character traits such as loyalty and obedience in our animal companions of such importance to us? Does owning a four-legged family member contradict the concurrent consumption of other animals? And is there not a similar double standard to be observed in the differentiation between pedigree breeding and stray dogs?
Excerpt from the exhibition text by Julia Meyer-Brehm.
