University of Plymouth PEARL https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk 04 University of Plymouth Research Theses 01 Research Theses Main Collection 2017 Dogs and Domesticity Reading the Dog in Victorian British Visual Culture Robson, Amy http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/10097 University of Plymouth All content in PEARL is protected by copyright law. Author manuscripts are made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the details provided on the item record or document. In the absence of an open licence (e.g. Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher or author. Copyright Statement This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and that no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without the author’s prior consent. i ii Dogs and Domesticity Reading the Dog in Victorian British Visual Culture by Amy Robson A thesis submitted to Plymouth University in partial fulfilment for the degree of PhD Art History, 2017 Humanities and Performing Arts 2017 iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisors, Dr James Gregory and Dr Jenny Graham, for their ongoing support throughout this project. I would also like to extend immeasurable thanks to Dr Gemma Blackshaw, who was involved in the early and later stages of my research project. Each of these individuals brought with them insights, character, and wit which helped make the PhD process all the more enjoyable. I am also thankful towards Dr Jody Patterson, whose warmth and critical insights were always welcome, and to Dr Péter Bokody, who shares my love of long walks (and, on more than one occasion, allowed Jenny and I to share office space with him). My gratitude is also extended to the entire School of Humanities and to Plymouth University, who provided me with a platform through which to undertake my research. Deep appreciation is also given to the Association of Art Historians, who welcomed me to present papers on multiple occasions and who have provided me with a social support network through their Student Membership Committee (of which I am a member). I am particularly thankful to the Chief Executive of the AAH, Pontus Rosén, who always invited me back. The most heartfelt thanks goes to my family. In particular my mother, Michelle Robson, who inspired in me a passion for discovery, my father Ian Robson, who never doubted the value of my aspirations, and my grandmother Dorothy Robson, who has remained a stalwart supporter on my academic endeavours. I also wish to thank my beloved Nan, a cockney queen who sadly passed away before my Undergraduate graduation but always knew that I would be writing this acknowledgement one day. And, lastly, I would like to thank my wonderful partner, Nicholas Smith—who has endured more Victoriana then any WWI enthusiast should have to bare—and my much- loved dog Rooney, whose carefree naps on my laps during the writing process were both my biggest distraction and greatest support. iv Author’s Signed Declaration At no time during the registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy has the author been registered for any other University award without prior agreement of the Graduate Sub-Committee. Work submitted for this research degree at the Plymouth University has not formed part of any other degree either at Plymouth University or at another establishment. A programme of advanced study was undertaken and relevant seminars and conferences were regularly attended at which work was often presented; including the University of York, The Wellcome Collection, and the University of Edinburgh. Presentation and Conferences Attended: ‘Class Contagions and Canine Culprits: Rapid Representations and the Middle-Class Imagination in Victorian Britain’, A Picture of Health, AAH New Voices Conference, 2014, The Wellcome Collection. ‘Canine Character: Reading the Dog in Victorian Visual Culture’, The Inaugural PUNCS Conference, 2015, Plymouth University. ‘Dandy Dogs: Fashionable Canines and Canines as Fashion in Victorian Britain’, Fashion & Art History: The AAH Summer Symposium, 2015, The University of York. Between Apes and Angels, 2014, The University of Edinburgh (Attended) Word count of main body of thesis: 79,242 Signed: Date: v Abstract The central aim of this thesis is to critically examine the values associated with dogs in Victorian British art and visual culture. It studies the redefining and restructuring of the domestic dog as it was conceptualized in visual culture and the art market. It proposes that the dog was strongly associated with social values and moral debates which often occurred within a visual arena, including exhibitions, illustrated newspapers, and prints. Consequently, visual representations of the dog can be seen as an important means through which to study Victorian culture and society. Historians have agreed that the Victorian period was a significant turning point for how we perceive the dog. Harriet Ritvo, Michael Worboys and Neil Pemberton cite the Victorian period as founding or popularizing many recognisable canine constructs; such as competitive breeding; a widespread acceptance of dogs as pets; and the association of particular breeds with particular classes of people. Phillip Howell defines the Victorian period as the point at which the domestic dog was conceptually established. The figurative domestic dog did not simply exist in the home but was part of the home; an embodiment of its core (often middle class) values. As such, the domestic dog became the standard by which all other dogs were perceived and the focal point for related social debates. Yet most studies concerning the Victorian dog overlook the contribution of visual culture to these cultural developments. William Secord compiled an extensive catalogue of Victorian dog artwork and Diana Donald examined Landseer and the dog as an artistic model yet neither have fully situated the dog within a broader Victorian social environment, nor was their intention to critically examine the dog’s signification within the larger visual landscape. Chapter One provides this overview, while subsequent chapters provide studies of key canine motifs and the manner in which they operated in art and visual culture. Underpinning this thesis is a concern with the Victorian moral values and ideals of domesticity in urban environments. These values and their relation to the dog are explored through the framework of the social history of art. Seen through this methodology, this thesis allows the relationship between canine debates, social concerns, and visual representations to be understood. It will argue that the figure of the dog had a significant role to play both socially and visually within Victorian society and propose a reappraisal of the dog in art historical study. vi List of Contents Copyright Statement i Acknowledgements iv Author’s Signed Declaration v Abstract vi List of Contents vii List of Illustrations 1 Introduction 1 Chapter One. Constructions of the Dog in Nineteenth-Century Artistic Practice 59 Introduction 59 Urban Canines and Modern Creations 62 The Mediation of Canine Clutter 62 Royal Influences 66 Creating Meaning and Conveying Values in Pet Portraiture 70 A Matter of Breeding 79 Breeding, Status and Visibility in Middle-Class Pet Keeping 79 Capturing Canine Class 86 Canine Character and the Appeal to Moral Decency 92 Artist, Dogs and the Art Market 101 Landseer’s Demise and the Dog’s Place in Art 101 Print Proliferations and the Demand for Dogs 106 Chapter Two. Virtue, Death, and Guardianship in Canine Representations 120 Introduction 120 Virtuous Embodiments and Saintly Servants 125 The Dog as Literal Saviour 128 The Dog as Figurative Saviour 133 Salvation and the Canine Saviour 138 No Sirius but, Hopefully, Still Heaven-Bound 141 Developing the Mourner 143 Examinations of the Mourner 148 The Dog as Saviour and the Dog as Salvation 152 Guardian in Life, Guardian in Death 155 Developing the Dog as Literal Saviour of Children 157 vii Employing the Dog as Guardian of Children 162 The Dog As Moral Guide 167 Chapter Three. Rabies as Moral and Class Contagion in Victorian Imagery 176 Introduction 176 Fearing the Dog: Canine Class Contagions 182 Canine Fears 182 Reading Canines 184 Visualising the Rabid Dog 188 Cave Canem, Or Dog(Berry) Law 193 Periodical Parodies and the Incompetent Copper 195 What to Do About Dear Fido? 200 The Collie of Brompton Road 206 The Rabid Peripheral 215 Canines on the Canvas 217 Revealing the Rabid Canine in Work 221 Further Canine Concerns 226 Chapter Four. Dog Stealers, the ‘Fallen Dog’, and Gender Dynamics in Victorian Visual Culture 230 Introduction 230 Dog Dealers and Dog Stealers 234 Introducing the Fancy 234 Obfuscated Offenders 237 The Man Defending 242 Fallen Dogs and Fallen Women 251 The Fallen Canine: Domestic Dogs Out of Place 251 Roles and Readings of Battersea Dog’s Home 256 Women, Dogs, and the Domestic Dog’s Home 265 Chapter Five. ‘Appealing Dogs’ in Late Nineteenth Century Charity and Photography 275 Introduction 275 A Blind Appeal 279 Visualising the Relationship Between the Beggar and Dog 281 Charitable Advocacy and Middle-Class Reassurances 286 From Rover to Jack: Celebrity Canine Collectors 289 Canine Photography and ‘Truth to Culture’ 297 viii Conclusion 305 Bibliography 310 ix List of Illustrations Figure 1: Sir John Everett Millais, Isabella, oil on canvas, 1849, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Figure 2: Sir Edwin Landseer, The Connoisseurs: Portrait of the Artist with Two Dogs, oil on canvas, 1865, The Royal Collection, London. Figure 3: Jordan Baseman, Be Your Dog, dog’s ears, plastic, 1997, Private Collection. Figure 4: Grayson Perry, The Vanity of Small Differences: The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal, wool, cotton, acrylic, polyester and silk tapestry, 2012, Victoria Micro, London.