Antique Dog Painting of a Bulldog (or Cane Corso)
Jules Chardigny (1849-1892)
Circa 1870
Oil on wood panel.
9 ¼ x 7 1/3 (15 3/4 x 14 frame) inches

This is one of several examples of dogs being painted in this precise style as face-on with a mirthful expression that we've located. The examples all seemingly date to around 1870 and were painted by several artists all who rather contemporaneous of one another; Louis Léger Chardin (1833-1918), and Théodore Levigne (1848-1912).

Jules Chardigny was born in London in 1842. Son and pupil of the sculptor Pierre-Joseph Chardigny, he began his career by presenting a sculpture at the Salon of 1868. At the same time, he trained in painting alongside his master, the talented Thomas Couture. Chardigny specialized in the representation of dogs, his work offers us interesting portraits. He painted a wide range of dog portraits creating a considerable output of excellent, thoughtful portraits. He died in 1892 in Paris.
Bibliography: Bénézit, 1976: 669