The Dog Rita Asleep 1864

Editor: Here we have Frederic Bazille's 1864 painting, "The Dog Rita Asleep," rendered in oil. I’m immediately struck by its intimacy, almost as if we are quietly observing a beloved family pet in a private moment. What are your thoughts on this depiction, and how does it fit into the context of 19th-century art? Curator: It's interesting you use the word intimacy, because I think that’s key. Consider how genre painting and domestic scenes gained popularity in the mid-19th century. It reflects a growing interest in middle-class life and values. We see the world, through art, shifting from historical paintings and formal portraits toward images of everyday experience. And this shift reflects an increasingly influential bourgeoisie audience. Is Bazille placing this dog as part of his own social fabric? Editor: That's a fascinating angle! So, are you suggesting that this painting of a dog is not just about the animal itself, but about the social values of the time? Almost like a stand-in for bourgeois comfort and domesticity? Curator: Exactly! How are animals deployed in art at this time? Are they objects? Symbols? Here, I believe, this painting subtly places value on domesticity and comfort. This animal lies curled, vulnerably, at rest on what appears to be valuable patterned material. And Bazille's later associations with the Impressionists certainly pushed this idea further, liberating the subjects of painting. Do you think this adds to how we might consider the work now? Editor: Definitely. I never would have considered how it spoke to the changing social landscape, but understanding its cultural context makes it all the more relevant. I’ll never look at pet portraits the same way! Curator: Precisely. It invites us to ponder the public role of what seems, at first glance, a very simple, private painting.