1734
oil
canvas
From the collection of National Galleries Scotland
Dominant colour
A Boy and a Dog is a 1734 oil by Philippe Mercier, held at National Galleries Scotland.
This portrait depicts a young boy sitting in a lavish, ornate room. He is dressed in a richly patterned brown and gold jacket, with a white ruffled collar and cuffs, and has his dark hair styled in a neat, low ponytail. The boy's right hand rests on the head of a small brown dog, which sits beside him. The boy's expression is contemplative, and he gazes directly at the viewer with a serious, introspective look. His left hand rests against his cheek, adding to the sense of quiet thoughtfulness. The painting is a beautiful example of 18th-century portraiture, and its use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and dimensionality. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.
Philippe Mercier (also spelled Philip Mercier; 1689 – 18 July 1760) was an artist of French Huguenot descent from the German realm of Brandenburg-Prussia (later Kingdom of Prussia), usually defined to French school.
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