NEW YORK, NY.- Bonhams annual auction dedicated to dogs in art, Dogs in Show & Field, the worlds premier venue for fine art dedicated to dogs, will be held on February 18, 2015 in New York. Timed to coincide with the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, this will be Bonhams 34th sale in the category and the 16th in the US.
Known for having works for collectors at all levels, the sale will be comprised of lots from a variety of media including paintings, prints, bronzes, ceramics, and Dogiania such as collars, jewelry, books and other related ephemera.
Works by noted dog and sporting artists from the UK, like John Emms, Arthur Wardle, and Thomas Blinks; and from the US, like John Martin Tracy and Percival Rosseau, will be featured in addition to a strong selection of sculptures by Richard Fath. The artworks in the sale will feature dogs from all of the American Kennel Club acknowledged groups: Sporting, Herding, Working, Terrier, Hounds, Toys, and Non-Sporting.
Leading the way in paintings is a recently discovered canvas by the renowned sporting artist Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait. Recorded in his 1878 inventories, Steady: Quail Shooting (est. $30,000 - 50,000) depicts two dogs spying a couple of quail scurrying behind a rock. This is a quintessential work for the artist, which remains in near pristine condition.
Also included is John Emms Waiting for Master (est. $30,000 - 50,000). Emms, the acknowledged master painter of Foxhounds and Terriers, is often referred to as the Guardi of dog painting for his commanding use of the brush. The painting displays an active kennel where three Hounds and a Terrier clamor for the attention of an approaching master.
Contemporary dog painting will be represented with In the Surf (est. $4,000 - 6,000) by the celebrated portraitist Christine Merrill and the ever popular blue dog by George Rodrigue, which appears in I Wish I had a Polka Dot Bikini (est. $20,000 - 30,000).
The sale will preview at Bonhams Madison Avenue galleries from February 14 - 17.