The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest

A black-and-tan dachshund in a white lace ruff and a black doublet lays a paw on its chest beside a gilded sword hilt, against a dark ground. An animal takes the sitter's place in a Renaissance court portrait, keeping the pose, the costume and the setting the painter gave it. Fur, eyes and bearing are painted anew in the same manner, so the animal wears the finery of the court as if it had always been its own.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by ink, with chocolate and taupe in support: a low-lit, quietly neutral picture. Its restrained colour lets the drawing and the light carry the picture, and it sits easily with almost any interior. The tall format leads the eye from top to bottom, so the details reward a second and a third look.

A tall canvas like this one suits a narrow wall: a hallway, the space beside a bookcase or a doorway, or the wall between two windows. It brings a touch of the royal court to a study, a library wall or the space above a mantel. Ink and chocolate are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

El Greco made the original around 1578–80; in the collection it is listed under Renaissance. It has the balance and finish of the Renaissance, every detail placed with deliberate care. This painting is printed to order on gallery-wrapped canvas in 30 × 40 cm or 40 × 60 cm, from the image you see here. The canvas wraps around its frame, so it arrives ready to hang, with no framing needed. Want yourself in it instead? Add a photo and see your portrait free before you order.