The Drowning Dog

This work belongs to a series of 14 more within the well-known Black Paintings, so called not only for their dark tones but also for the somberness of their subjects. There are also the well-known “Aquelarre” or “Saturn devouring his son.” These paintings were frescoes painted in the painter’s house known as La Quinta del Sordo in Madrid, unfortunately today missing.

“A dog” has become the most mysterious painting of all, not only because of its possible meaning, but because it has been admired by many modern artists. It is believed that the work is endless, and it seems that there were some birds that have faded over time, but what is clear is the variety of opinions and capacity for reflection that a work can provoke.

There are those who see it as a reflection of the human condition, loneliness, sunk in problems, stress and worries, faced with an uncertain future, being simple dogs to whom nobody pays attention.
Or we can interpret it more positively, always looking up, struggling to climb, or not interpreting it in any way, just enjoying this work so difficult to translate.