Sight Height 19.5 in., Width 15.5 in. Framed Height 27 in., Width 23 in. This characterful oil portrait depicts the head and shoulders of a Saint Bernard dog -- the breed identifiable by its broad blocky head, distinctive bicolor brown and white facial markings with characteristic dark eye patches, heavy jowls and the large calm eyes that define the breeds noble and gentle expression -- wearing a collar from which hangs a gilt-colored tag inscribed NOV 2 / 1903 / E.E.F., details that transform this from a generic dog painting into a personal memorial or commemorative portrait of a specific named or initialed animal belonging to a family identified by the initials E.E.F. The painting is executed in a dark tenebristic manner typical of Edwardian dog portraiture -- the figure emerging from a warm brown-black ground -- a tradition rooted in the celebrated dog paintings of Sir Edwin Landseer and carried through to the Edwardian era by British and American animal painters who responded to the enormous Victorian and Edwardian appetite for pet portraiture, a genre that reflected the periods deep sentimental attachment to companion animals as members of the family. The Saint Bernard held a particular place in the Victorian and Edwardian popular imagination as the heroic alpine rescue dog -- its image appearing in countless paintings, prints and ceramics throughout the period -- and painted portraits of individual Saint Bernards are among the most sought-after examples of the genre by collectors of dog art. The dated collar tag provides a precise documentary anchor of November 1903, placing this work firmly in the Edwardian period of King Edward VIIs reign. The reverse should be examined for any artist signature, inscription or exhibition label. Condition shows age-related surface wear consistent with a 120-year-old painting. 03 E, E, F.