Croatian Monastery to make Painted Dalmatian Dog a Must-See Tourist Attraction
May 26 2021
Picture: total-croatia-news.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Interesting news has arrived from Croatia. The Franciscan Monastery of St. Mary, Zaostrog, are forming a project to celebrate one of the earliest illustrations of the region's famous Dalmatian dog breed. An example of the breed appears in a painting of the Last Supper, which the friars of the monastery believe to be dating to the eighteenth century (?). The article suggests that the arrival of tourists asking specifically to see the painting has prompted them to redisplay the work in a more accessible place.
Although this painting might be one of the earliest illustrations surviving in Croatia itself, fans of Old Masters might already know these earlier examples by Justus Sustermans, David de Coninck and Frans Snyders.
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Update - I should also point out this interesting late-sixteenth century example, which may have originated from an artist connected with the Court of Emperor Rudolf II.
