My latest commission has been a portrait of Marcel the French Bulldog who lived in Battersea.
The French Bulldog actually originates back to a British dwarf Bulldog known as the Toy Bulldog in the 1850s which were popular with Nottingham lace makers. Threatened by redundancy in the Industrial Revolution these workers emigrated to France where they bred with other short-faced breeds and after three decades a new breed known as the French Bulldog had evolved.
Recognisable for their large ‘Bat Ears’ and lovable clownish faces they soon became fashionable in artistic Parisian society and portrayed by artists of the day including Degas and Toulouse Lautrec.
The return of the breed to Britain in the last years of the 19th Century brought some antagonism from the traditionalists, but in 1902 the French Bulldog Club of England was formed. In 1906 the Kennel Club gave official recognition to the breed. These dogs are often kept as companions and are known for their patient and affectionate nature. They can live with other breeds and rarely bark. As they are human oriented dogs this makes them on the easier side to train, even though they do have tendencies to be stubborn.
Today they remain a popular breed globally with many celebrity owners which ironically include Snoop Dogg. Other famous owners include Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman, Lady Gaga, Leonardo Dicaprio, David Beckham and Madonna.
