High Life by Edwin Henry Landseer, 1829

Landseer's dog paintings of the 1830s are among his most popular works. About half consist of commissioned, life-size 'portraits', the rest are independent subjects, smaller in scale and usually with a narrative content. This particular work depicts a battle-scarred terrier, guarding his master's shop.

The deerhound in this picture reflects an aristocratic world of chivalry; the interior is like a scene from a Walter Scott novel. Various props scattered on the table and floor give the impression that the dog's master is a knight, through the window can be glimpsed a castellated tower. The dog itself was once thought to have been Scott's dog Maida, but in pose and colouring the dog is closer to Landseer's own deerhound.

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