Cats and dogs bring out the positive and playful sides of their human companions and the artists who depict them.
This display, which explores companion animals within domestic and rural settings, considers what borders are crossed to allow some animals into human lives, activities and domestic spaces – and what meanings are then bestowed upon these animals. Touch is often a key part of the relationship between people and their furry friends, and the instinct to care for another animal pervades many of the works selected here.
Created to complement the Barber’s major autumn winter exhibition, Miss Clara and the Celebrity Beast in Art, 1500 – 1860, the display features drawings and prints from the 16th to the 20th century, and highlights the striking and uplifting presence of humour characteristic of many of the works.
