The breed has a long and noble history spanning thousands of years.  Mummified remains of dogs similar to Italian Greyhounds have been excavated from the tombs of the Pharaoh’s in the Valley of Kings and it is believed that the breed originated in Egypt around 3000BC.  These small hounds were taken to the  Mediterranean by the Romans around 600 BC, and because of their popularity in Italy during the middle ages, they became known as Italian Greyhounds and were frequent companions to European Royalty and Aristocracy including Mary Queen of Scots, Charles 1, Catherine the great and Queen Victoria.  This elegant breed has been portrayed in art throughout the centuries from paintings to carvings and ceramic statues.

I strive to capture the essence of the individual animal in my artwork and so much of this is conveyed through the eyes, which are what compelled me to paint this gorgeous Italian Greyhound from a photo reference by fellow artist C. Sheeter.  I hope I have captured that unique spark in ‘Magnifico’.

Art prints and gifts featuring my Italian Greyhound Painting ‘Magnifico’ will be available for purchase shortly,if you would like to receive notification when merchandise is available, simply follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/artistMichelleW) or on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Perth-Australia/South-West-Photography/108861603360?ref=ts).

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Greyhound

Original acrylic painting

by

Michelle Wrighton

8″x10″ on 1.8cm deep gallery wrapped canvas

$135.00 (includes shipping)

10% of your investment in this artwork will be donated to K9 Rescue

"Royalty" original Greyhound dog painting by Michelle Wrighton

This is a small acrylic painting of Gilley, a rescue Greyhound dog from the UK. Greyhounds have the most beautiful, big, liquid, expressive eyes that are an absolute joy to paint. As a breed, Greyhounds have such a regal bearing that the deep purple background seemed appropriate for Gilley’s painting

These smaller paintings are very enjoyable to do, although this one is still quite detailed, I am really trying to loosen up and capture the essence of the animal without being totally pre-occupied with capturing every last detail!

The painting is continued on all four edges and is ready to hang.  “Royalty” is available on merchandise and prints, but this is the first time this original painting from my personal collection has been offered for sale.

*The copyright watermark is a digital addition to the image below and is not on the original painting.