The Lazy Dog Antique Store

St. Bernard Protector Dog With Child And Black Cat Folk Art Painting Oil on Canvas applied to Board

$655

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Platinum

since 2006
This is an antique folk art painting of a St. Bernard protecting a sleeping girl next to a black cat. This piece was originally painted on canvas. At some point the canvas was applied to a wooden board. It is an oval shape which we don't believe is the original shape. I believe that someone wanted to save this precious painting and therefore trimmed the ruined corners and applied it to this board. Somehow, this makes it even sweeter than if it were framed normally. It measures 35 inches long by 27 inches high and .5 inches deep. It is in good vintage condition but does have some flaws- please see the photos for the condition issues. In the Victorian times, the St. Bernard was seen as a protector of children. This began with Barry the dog.

According to the Southern folk artist and antique website, Barry the dog was born the year 1800 in Switzerland. Named Barry der Menschenretter, he worked as a mountain rescue dog in Switzerland for the Great St Bernard Hospice. Although Barry would be called a St. Bernard dog today, he predates the modern St. Bernard, and was lighter built than the modern breed. He has been described as the most famous St. Bernard, as he was credited with saving more than 40 lives during his lifetime. Barry's most famous rescue was that of a young boy. He found the child asleep in a cavern of ice. After warming up the boy's body sufficiently by licking him, and persuaded the boy to climb on his back, and then carried the boy to safety back to the hospice. The child survived and was returned to his parents.
Item id: StBernardGirlPainting
Color: Black
Media: Oil Paint, Canvas
Style: Folk Art
Item type: Antique