Why are there so many Smoking Dogs in Old Masters?
April 22 2021
Picture: Artnet.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Ben Davis of artnet.com has answered the question we've all been asking ourselves for many years - exactly why are there so many smoking dogs found in old master paintings?
Well, as Ben explains in his article, it turns out that it has a lot to do with the iconography of Saint Jane (or Santa Juana) of Aza:
The woman often depicted with the dog is Saint Jane (or Santa Juana) of Aza, and it is a reference to a vision she had (hence the daydreaming posture). Blessed Jane is said to have dreamed that she was carrying a small black-and-white dog with a blazing torch in its mouth in her womb. When she gave birth to it, the dog ran out and set everything on fire. This vision was interpreted to mean that Jane’s son was going to have an influence that would spread over the whole world.
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In any case: long story short, the Smoking Dog is not a smoking dog.
I'm glad we've cleared that up.
