The William Secord Gallery (New York) recently announced “Christine Merrill: The Royal Breeds,” featuring the paintings of Christine Merrill, whose portraits of show dogs, sporting dogs, and beloved pets have enriched the lives of collectors around the world.
From the gallery:
Timed to coincide with the Westminster Kennel Club’s 144th dog show, this exhibition marks Merrill’s thirty-year anniversary with the Gallery. The exhibition is a tribute to the many breeds that the British Royal Family have had over the years, including Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Collies, Corgis, Foxhounds, Labrador Retrievers, Pomeranians, Pekingese, and Pugs.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Christine developed a passion for painting animals at a young age. When she was two, her mother put a pencil in her hand and she immediately started drawing animals. With dogs and horses as her first loves, she painted her first portrait of a dog at the age of five. Rather than pursue a conventional academic degree in the arts, Merrill attended the traditional Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore, where she studied for five years under the school’s founder, Hans Schuler and his wife, Ann. Since 1975, Christine Merrill has specialized in the depiction of dogs, completing commissions for clients across America as well as in Europe and Japan.
Merrill’s work hangs in many private and public collections, including the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in New York City. Her work is in the private collections of Barbara Taylor Bradford, Bob Shieffer, and Oprah Winfrey, as well as the late Malcolm Forbes and many others. The artist is currently accepting a limited number of new commissions. A commission brochure and price guide is available upon request.
“Christine Merrill: The Royal Breeds” is on view through March 6, 2020. Learn more at http://www.dogpainting.com/index_new.cfm.
> Sign up to receive Fine Art Today, our free weekly e-newsletter
> And click here to subscribe to Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, so you never miss an issue
