Statuette of a Dog c. 1937

Frank Fumagalli made this drawing of a dog statuette, rendered in warm brown tones, with what looks like watercolor on paper. Imagine the artist’s focus, carefully observing the details of the original object. Is it wood or ceramic? The statuette has a playful quality: the dog carries a bottle in its mouth, and its tail is curled up jauntily. The artist has captured the essence of the object but has maybe also added some playfulness to it. I can feel his interest in form and texture through the careful shading and lines. Maybe Fumagalli was thinking about the history of dogs in art, from ancient Roman mosaics to Renaissance portraits. Dogs often symbolize loyalty, companionship, or status, so what does that mean here? It is not just a rendering of a dog, but an imaginative interpretation that tells us something about the artist’s view and feelings.