Print Study Picks: Dog Days
By Lori Williamson
August 8, 2025—We find ourselves in the “dog days” of summer. Unlike the phrase “three dog night,” which refers to nights so bitterly cold that you need three dogs to keep you warm, “dog days” describes the hottest, most humid days of the year.
It has its origins in the appearance of Sirius, known as the Dog Star, in the Northern Hemisphere. The ancient Greeks mistakenly attributed rising temperatures to the star, observing that the most intense summer heat typically occurred during a roughly 40-day period that coincided with the time when Sirius rose and set with the sun.
While we now know that the heat isn’t caused by a star, and that the saying itself has nothing to do with actual dogs, let’s distract ourselves from sweating by looking at some dogs in Mia’s collection!
England, Sleeping Dog, c. 1840, graphite. Gift of the Joseph F. McCrindle Collection, 2009.53.55
This is, without question, the best puppy in the collection. Observe the sleeping face, the outstretched paws, the shadow of a nose, and that soft hair, all begging to be petted!
While the artist is unknown, the spaniel’s name, based on the inscription in the lower right corner of the sheet, appears to be Tissy. The delicate, attentive linework in “Sleeping Dog” reveals the affection the artist must have had for their slumbering subject.
George Cruikshank; Publisher: George Humphrey, London, Very Unpleasant Weather, or the Old Saying Verified. Raining Cats, Dogs and Pitchforks!!!, April 27, 1820, hand-colored etching. The Minnich Collection The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fund, 1966 P.17, 385
With an eye for people, fashion, and livelihoods, caricaturist George Cruikshank adeptly skewered life in early 19th-century London. In the fantastically intricate “Very Unpleasant Weather,” we see cats, dogs, and pitchforks not just falling from the sky, but being hurled as if by an invisible force.
Closer inspection reveals a dog’s paw in a courier’s mouth; a cat clinging to the back of the unhappy cab driver; and an enterprising woman with a wheelbarrow who might have earlier been selling fish, but is now offering “cat meat, dog meat.” Pitchforks, too, are pinning people in the most uncomfortable of positions.
Rufino Tamayo, Perro Aullando, 1960, color lithograph. Gift of Mr. Marvin Small, 1961 P.12, 853
“Perro Aullando” translates to “Howling Dog,” a subject often revisited by Indigenous Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo. Fiercely independent, Tamayo rejected the patriotic, nationalist leanings of revered Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.
Instead, he focused on the formal elements of art, like color, shape, and balance. He was greatly influenced by modern European art movements, such as Cubism and Surrealism, and merged those artistic approaches with themes and subjects from Mexican culture.
About Lori Williamson, Supervisor of the Herschel V. Jones Print Study Room at Mia
Lori Williamson creates mini-exhibitions and teaches classes and Print Study Room visitors about the museum’s rich collection of works on paper. She’s the primary caretaker for more than 40,000 prints, 6,000 drawings, and 600 artists’ books, collaborating with curators in American, European, and Global Contemporary Art to make these holdings accessible. Williamson supports scholars through research and inquiry, and advocates for the inclusion of works on paper in exhibitions, social media, and outreach, helping to connect diverse audiences with this dynamic collection.
Interested in seeing something in the Print Study Room? All are welcome by appointment. Email Lori Williamson and copy the Print Study Room to make an appointment.
Meet the other curators in the Department of European Art.