Dignity and impudence

Our love of pets is so ingrained, it's unsurprising that we have treasured portraits of them since Landseer's day. Katy Birchall meets four artists keeping the memory of our best friends alive

- Katy Birchall

AMONG the earliest forms of human artistic expression are depictions of animals. A native pig painted in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is believed to be at least 45,500 years old and the famous 17,000-year-old cave art in Lascaux, France, comprises hauntingly beautiful representations of stags, bison, cattle and, above all else, horses. Art offers a valuable insight into the dynamic relationship between humans and animals throughout history-from the admiration for creatures vital to human existence shown in cave art to the heavily symbolic meanings attributed to animals in Roman mosaics and Renaissance paintings.

Art has also long reflected their place in our hearts as companions. Affection for domesticated animals is particularly conspicuous in portraits and photography of the Victorian era animal artist Sir Edwin Landseer, a royal favourite, became immensely popular among the general public for the sentimentalism of his work.

Whether we marvel at them or seek companionship from them, animals have become intertwined with human identity and, as such, it is no wonder that artists continue to explore such an indisputable and emotive connection. Today, animal portraits are in high demand, commissioned in the hope of capturing the love and joy they bring to our lives. The resulting artworks not only celebrate the lives of our pets, but also serve to remind us that these four-legged friends-our guides and comforts through the best and darkest of times -remain with us even when they are gone.

'She captures man and dog as one'