Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Wegener

Wegener specialized in depictions of animals and painted this endearing Maltese practically life size. The long-haired lap dog, wearing a red collar with a gold pendant, looks attentively out at the viewer, as if to underscore the emotional bond between petite hound and spectator. The Maltese breed, thought to have originated from the island of Malta, was cherished for its companionship and was especially popular in court circles. Indeed, in 1839, Queen Victoria commissioned a portrait of her mother's Maltese Quiz, from Edward Landseer, who exhibited the work (Windsor, Royal Collections, inv. no. RCIN 401549) at the Royal Academy's annual exhibition.