Painting a dog in an ermine robe might seem like a modern idea, but pets have appeared in royal portraiture for hundreds of years. Today's royal pet portraits are a playful continuation of a very old tradition.
Dogs at the side of emperors
In the 1530s, the Venetian master Titian painted the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V standing beside his large hunting dog. Dogs in portraits like this signalled loyalty, nobility and status. A well-bred dog was a sign of a well-bred household.
A spaniel named after a king
In seventeenth-century England, King Charles II was so devoted to his small spaniels that the breed still carries his name: the King Charles Spaniel. His dogs followed him through the royal court and appear in paintings of the era.
Queen Victoria and her beloved companions
Queen Victoria adored her dogs and commissioned many paintings of them. The celebrated animal painter Sir Edwin Landseer painted her spaniel, Dash, along with many other royal pets. These portraits treated animals with the same seriousness and affection as any human subject.
Gainsborough's gentle touch
The English painter Thomas Gainsborough, famous for his elegant society portraits, also painted dogs with remarkable tenderness. His work showed that a pet portrait could be fine art in its own right.
From palace walls to your living room
For most of history, only royalty and the very wealthy could commission a painted portrait. Today, the same classical style is available to every pet lover. A royal pet portrait combines the grandeur of the old masters, with velvet robes, gold chains and dramatic lighting, with the warmth and humour of the pet you know and love.
Why royal portraits feel so right
- They capture personality. Most pets already act like royalty. A portrait simply makes it official.
- They are timeless. Classic oil-painting styles suit traditional and modern homes alike.
- They make people smile. Few pieces of art spark more conversation with guests.
Every portrait we create is based on your own photograph, so your pet's face, markings and expression stay unmistakably theirs. See our royal portraits and commission your own.
