Vintage Photos of Pet Portraits Throughout History

2020-01-20T15:26:45Z

For hundreds of years, people have been posing with their beloved pets for portraits.
Members of the royal and elite classes often posed for formal portraits alongside animals to exhibit their wealth and status.
Film stars and musicians also posed with animals for studio portraits throughout the last century.
While some pet portraits are kitschy and downright hilarious, they nevertheless emphasize the important role of pets in pop culture, art history, and the royal families of past and present.
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Before there were pet selfies, there were pet portraits.

While sitting for hours while an artist paints you and your pet may sound over-the-top, this was commonplace for many members of the elite and ruling classes throughout history.

From Queen Catherine of Aragon to Queen Elizabeth II, pet portraits have been a staple in royal art history.

In the golden age of Hollywood, film actresses and actors frequently posed with pets in gorgeous studio portraits.

While some vintage portraits of pets and their owners are more kitschy than others, they all exemplify the unbreakable bond between people and animals throughout history.

Pet portraits date back hundreds of years.

A portrait of Catherine of Aragon with her pet monkey circa 1530.

Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Exotic animals were a sign of opulence and wealth for European monarchs and they were frequently depicted in royal portraits. Here, Catherine of Aragon is pictured holding her pet monkey around the year 1530.

This portrait of Clarissa Strozzi by Titian is considered one of the most beautiful child — and animal — portraits in the world.

pet portrait 1542 titian — Portrait of Clarissa Strozzi at the age of two by Titian in 1542.

Francis G. Mayer/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images

Notable rivals of the Medici family in the 1400s, the wealthy Italian Strozzi family commissioned the work from Titian, one of the most celebrated artists of the 16th century.

Clarissa is pictured with a small dog, which would have been a luxury for anyone, let alone a child, to own, as pets were viewed as another mouth to feed during a time when many still lived in great poverty.

As photography became increasingly popular, royals posed with their families and their animals with greater ease.

Tsar Alexander II of Russia is pictured here with his dog in 1863.

Pets became more commonplace among middle-class levels of society at the end of the 18th century, and they began showing up in more people’s portraits.

vintage postcard cat — A vintage French postcard circa 1900.

Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images

However, pet-keeping was still not considered appropriate for lower-class people, as it was thought to take away from their duties.

Here a young French woman poses with her cat for a postcard.

While middle-class people enjoyed posing for the camera with their furry friends, the trend was especially popular among film stars throughout the last century.

Silent film acress Pearl White — Silent film actress Pearl White holding a small performing monkey, circa 1925.

Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis/Getty Images

In 1925, silent film actress Pearl White posed with a small performing money for this black-and-white snap.

As photography became more and more popular, major film actresses posed with pets of all shapes and sizes.

Actress Claudette Colbert pet portrait — Actress Claudette Colbert with her dog.

John Springer Collection/Corbis/Getty Images

Actress Claudette Colbert posed with her dog for this early 1900s photograph.

Dogs were common props for film actresses’ studio shoots.

Bette Davis dog — Bette Davis posing with two dogs for Warner Bros Studios in 1933.

John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

Bette Davis posed with two fluffy dogs for this Warner Brothers Studio portrait in 1933.

Other pet portraits were more candid, like this black-and-white vignette portrait of Frances Farmer in 1936.

While some pet portraits throughout history were intended to make their subjects look wealthier, more regal, or glamorous, others like this photograph likely aimed to make their famous subjects look more approachable.

Pets were also used to set the scene for a studio photograph.

judy garland cat — Cuddling a black cat, a scared-looking Judy Garland poses for a portrait session in 1938.

Eric Carpenter/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

Some believe black cats bring bad luck, adding to the slightly spooky vibe of this early Judy Garland portrait.

While many film stars and models posed with animals they didn’t actually own, others documented their incredible bonds with their pets in personal portraits.

audrey hepburn pet deer — Audrey Hepburn gets a kiss from her pet fawn, Ip, in her home, circa 1958.

Bettman/Getty Images

Audrey Hepburn famously owned a pet fawn named Ip in the late 1950s through the 1960s. Ip is pictured with her here in this intimate portrait.

Legendary jazz musician Billie Holiday had quite a few dogs, but the singer absolutely adored her boxer, Mister, who appears in this portrait.

billie holiday dog — Billie Holiday posing with her dog during a portrait session circa 1940.

William Gottlieb/Redferns/Getty Images

Holiday reportedly claimed at the time that Mister “kept fans at a polite distance.”

While dogs and cats were the animals most commonly featured in film studio photo sessions, actresses and actors also posed with horses and other animals.

ginger rogers horse — Ginger Rogers with a white horse during a studio portrait circa 1945.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

For this studio portrait in 1945, American actress and legendary dancer Ginger Rogers posed with a stunning white horse.

Some pet portraits were extremely artistic in nature.

bing crosby dog — American singer and actor Bing Crosby with a small dog, circa 1950.

Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

This photograph of singer and actor Bing Crosby and a small dog could pass as an oil painting.

This photograph of actress Jane Russell and a cat also took on an almost artwork-like appearance.

Jane Russell cat — American actress Jane Russell pictured with a cat.

R.K.O. Radio Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Images

Rather than looking candid, as with pet photos we might take today, these kitschy pet portraits were posed and highly thought-out, hearkening back to early pet portraits of the 1500s.

This colorful 1950s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and one of her dogs proves the importance of pets in art history, pop culture, and royalty to this day.

Queen Elizabeth II corgi — Queen Elizabeth II of England at Balmoral Castle with one of her dogs in 1952.

Bettman/Getty Images

The Queen has taken many photos with her corgis over the years and has been known to treat her dogs like family. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the ruler would request formal photographs with her beloved animals.

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Vintage Photos of Pet Portraits Throughout History

Pet portraits date back hundreds of years.

This portrait of Clarissa Strozzi by Titian is considered one of the most beautiful child — and animal — portraits in the world.

As photography became increasingly popular, royals posed with their families and their animals with greater ease.

Pets became more commonplace among middle-class levels of society at the end of the 18th century, and they began showing up in more people’s portraits.

While middle-class people enjoyed posing for the camera with their furry friends, the trend was especially popular among film stars throughout the last century.

As photography became more and more popular, major film actresses posed with pets of all shapes and sizes.

Dogs were common props for film actresses’ studio shoots.

Other pet portraits were more candid, like this black-and-white vignette portrait of Frances Farmer in 1936.

Pets were also used to set the scene for a studio photograph.

While many film stars and models posed with animals they didn’t actually own, others documented their incredible bonds with their pets in personal portraits.

Legendary jazz musician Billie Holiday had quite a few dogs, but the singer absolutely adored her boxer, Mister, who appears in this portrait.

While dogs and cats were the animals most commonly featured in film studio photo sessions, actresses and actors also posed with horses and other animals.

Some pet portraits were extremely artistic in nature.

This photograph of actress Jane Russell and a cat also took on an almost artwork-like appearance.

This colorful 1950s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and one of her dogs proves the importance of pets in art history, pop culture, and royalty to this day.

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