‘Dog Days of Summer’ Celebrates Humanity’s Favorite Companions in Art and Life

a small dog curls up on a floral pillow on a bed of patterned pillows and blankets

Hilary Pecis,” Mango” (2024), acrylic on linen, 54 x 44 inches. All images courtesy of the artists and Timothy Taylor, shared with permission

We’ve officially entered the hot, sticky part of the year when languid afternoon naps seem inevitable. A sprawling group exhibition at Timothy Taylor is an ode to this sluggish time and the furry companion with which it shares a name.

Featuring 60-plus works made between 1915 and today, Dog Days of Summer is a joyful tribute to humanity’s best friend. Interpretations of our favorite four-legged pals are vast and varied, including a vividly patterned couch complete with a tiny, lounging pup by Hilary Pecis and Alex Da Corte’s stylized wooden puzzle with a friendly offering in its paw. Spanning photography, watercolor, etching, marquetry, and more, the exhibition presents a wide-ranging view of our relationship with the animal.

“Dogs have been a feature of visual culture since at least 8,000 years ago when hunter-gatherers carved an image of leashed dogs into a sandstone cliff,” a statement from the gallery says. Symbols of protection, loyalty, and unparalleled love and devotion, canine companions continue to fetch inspiration for artists millennia later.

Dog Days of Summer runs through August 23 in New York.

a long brown dog curls around a puddle with milk squirting form its nipples. a cloud and bright orange sun are in the background

Camilla Engstrom, “Mammahund” (2024), oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches

a yellow wooden sculpture of a dog with its pink tongue hanging out and a red flower in its paw

Alex Da Corte, “Lucy” (2021), wood, water-based stain, and paint, 18 x 15 x 1 ⅞ inches

Two brown and white baby terriers on a black backdrop with pink flowers

Ann Craven, “Magic and Moonlight in Night Field” (2024), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches

a gray, black, and white dog with one blue eye and one brown looks at the viewer and sits in a painting studio, a brush on the floor at its feet

Alison Elizabeth Taylor, “A Cat Person’s Studio Dog” (2024), marquetry hybrid on panel, 56 x 42 inches

a hazy painting of a group of dogs on a dark backdrop

Karen Kilimnik, “friends in the woods” (2010), water-soluble oil color on canvas, 14 × 18 inches

a minimal drawing in blue of a man on a floor with a small puppy on his cheset

Louis Fratino, “Man and Dog” (2018), watercolor on paper, 9 × 12 inches

several paintings, drawings, sketches, and photos on a white gallery wall

Installation view of ‘Dog Days of Summer’

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