Portrait Of The Marquis And Marchioness Of Miramon And Their Children 

In James Tissot’s portrait, we see the Marquis and Marchioness of Miramon with their children, captured with a formal stiffness amidst symbols of wealth and status. The family dog is a particularly resonant symbol. Throughout history, the dog has been a powerful emblem of loyalty, vigilance, and guardianship. In ancient Egypt, dogs were revered and associated with protection and the afterlife, often depicted in tombs to safeguard the deceased. Moving forward, the dog appears in Roman art and literature as a symbol of fidelity and companionship. During the medieval period, dogs were frequently included in aristocratic portraits to convey nobility, and in the Renaissance, dogs symbolized marital fidelity. Notice how the Marquis' dog sits loyally at his feet, as a symbol of familial trust and an emotional anchor in times of great social change. This enduring motif, constantly reappearing, taps into our primal longing for loyalty and connection, and continues to resonate deeply within the collective psyche.