A Charming Pair of 19th Century Reverse Glass Dog Portraits

A rare and charming pair of reverse glass paintings each featuring the head and shoulders of a Bernese Mountain Dog.

The Bernese mountain dog, in German, the ‘Berner Sennenhund’, is a large breed of dog, one of the four Sennenhund-type dogs from the Swiss Alps. Berner (or Bernese in English) refers to the area of the breed’s origin, the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Slightly longer than tall, It is a sturdy, large, hardy dog capable of both draft and droving work. This requires a combination of strength, speed and agility. His thick coat is moderately long, and slightly wavy, its expression is gentle, and its colouring striking.

The Bernese mountain dog is a very calm family companion. It is sensitive, perceptive, loyal and extremely devoted. It is gentle with children and generally gets along well with other dogs and other animals.

This pair of reverse glass paintings is rare for its subject matter as much as for its survival. Typically, eighteenth and nineteenth century reverse glass paintings were figurative; but these are more unusually animal portraiture.