Artists and the Collie. 37 



the artist, the characters are supported by a sable and 

 white typical collie, and a half-bred bloodhound. This 

 picture is now in the possession of H.R.H. the Prince of 

 Wales. "The Shepherd's Chief Mourner" again contains 

 this dog as the principal object in one of the most popular 

 pictures ; and the same painter's " Collie Dogs," one a black 

 and tan, the other a sable and white, likewise shows his 

 fondness for this picturesque variety of the canine race. 

 But Landseer painted many other pictures containing sheep 

 dogs, and delineated them in a manner that has not been 

 excelled since, and was never equalled before. 



Year after year the exhibitions of the Royal Academy and 

 of our other picture galleries prove the collie a favourite 

 by the subjects hanging on their walls. On one occasion 

 it may be seen in all rusticity by the dog endeavouring 

 to get a stray lamb out of an unpleasant predicament 

 ("Rescued," by Wallis Hunt, 1888); on another a more 

 domestic subject is represented by a pretty little baby-boy 

 crawling on all fours and looking up into the face of a 

 handsome collie (" Can't you Talk ? " by G. Holmes). The 

 sheep dog in art is, however, a subject that might be dealt 

 with almost in a volume by itself, and his bare mention in 

 connection therewith is only required in a work of this 

 description. Still, these pictures go to prove his popu- 

 larity ; possibly, some of the earlier ones have assisted 

 his progress towards the high estimation in which he is now 

 held by all classes, he being found equally at home in the 

 cottage of the shepherd as in the palaces of our Royal 

 Family. With Her Majesty the Queen the Scotch collie is 

 a great favourite, and both at Balmoral and Windsor canine 

 matters are almost entirely monopolised by several hand- 

 some specimens of the race, gentle, sensible creatures, 



