Which Famous Painting Would Your Pet Belong In?

Every pet has a personality. And somewhere in the history of art, there's a painting that already understands it.

We've matched the most familiar pet personalities with the famous artworks they'd fit right into. (Cat owners, we've also done a whole article just for you. Cats demanded it.)

The sunshine dog: Sunflowers, Vincent van Gogh

Golden, warm, impossible to be sad around. Van Gogh painted his famous Sunflowers series in the late 1880s, and they feel like a happy dog looks.

If your dog greets every single person like a long-lost friend, this is them.

The royal pet: Napoleon Crossing the Alps, Jacques-Louis David

Cape flying, chin up, pointing into the distance as if the whole world is theirs. Painted in 1801, it's art history's ultimate power pose.

For the pet who refuses to share the sofa and accepts treats like a tribute.

The sleepy one: The Sleeping Gypsy, Henri Rousseau

Rousseau's 1897 painting shows a figure fast asleep under the moon while a lion stands over them, curious and calm. It's dreamlike and peaceful and slightly absurd.

This is the pet who sleeps 18 hours a day and wakes up only for food, then looks personally offended when you leave the house.

The rabbit: Young Hare, Albrecht Dürer

Dürer painted Young Hare in 1502, and it's still one of the most beautiful animal studies ever made. Every whisker, every hair, every bit of quiet alertness.

Rabbits have exactly this energy: soft, watchful and secretly in charge of the entire household.

The bird: The Goldfinch, Carel Fabritius

A tiny goldfinch on a perch, painted in 1654. Small, bright and full of character, it's proof that the littlest pets can hold a whole room's attention.

For the bird who sings at sunrise, has opinions about everything and knows exactly how to get your attention.

The loyal little companion: The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck

Look closely at van Eyck's 1434 painting and you'll find a small, fluffy dog at the couple's feet, right in the middle of one of the most famous portraits in Western art.

This one is for the pet who is always, always underfoot. Small, devoted, and somehow in every family photo.

The mischief-maker: Las Meninas, Diego Velázquez

Velázquez's 1656 masterpiece is full of people, but there's also a large dog lying in the foreground, being gently prodded by a child's foot. It's chaotic, busy and wonderfully human.

For the pet who's at the centre of every household commotion and somehow never in trouble.

And the face that started it all

For us, the answer was always Girl with a Pearl Earring. That's the painting Yuthika put our Shih Tzu, Vaayu, into, which is how this whole business began.

Which one is your pet? Tell us. We love hearing the case people make for their pets. And if none of these fit, that just means your pet needs a painting of their own.

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