Dimensions: support: 663 x 552 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Sir Cedric Morris | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is "Belle of Bloomsbury" by Sir Cedric Morris, held at the Tate. It's... a very unusual dog portrait. The dog’s pose and expression are almost human. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: The materiality jumps out. Morris treats paint almost sculpturally here. How does this subvert traditional portraiture's class-based power dynamics through its focus on process and the labor of painting? Editor: That's an interesting perspective. I hadn't considered the labor involved in creating this image. Curator: Exactly. This isn't about idealizing the sitter, it's about the act of making. How might the choice of a dog further challenge societal norms around portraiture? Editor: I see what you mean. It really makes you think about the value we place on different subjects and artistic processes. Curator: Precisely. I'll remember this. Editor: Me too!
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/morris-belle-of-bloomsbury-t05499
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In traditional portraiture, dogs often accompany the human sitter. Here the animal is the sole focus of attention. As a painter, Morris was largely self-taught. Early in his career he established his approach which remained largely constant. His art is characterised by frank observation and directness in evoking the presence of the subject, in this case his sister's bull terrier. Here, typically, the motif is reduced to its essentials and the subject is set boldy against its background. In 1937, Morris founded the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, where Lucian Freud was a pupil. Gallery label, September 2004
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