The Dog and the Doctor
Joseph Denovan Adam
Oil on Canvas

Joseph Denovan Adam, RSA, RSW (1841-1896) was considered to be the foremost wildlife painter of his time, with a particular speciality in Highland cows. In 1887 he settled in Stirling, at Craigmill House. There he set up and ran a County Atelier – a fashionable, artists’ workshop and school of animal painting. He even kept Highland cows and various other farm animals on the grounds as live subjects for his pupils to study. Adam is as an important figure in the cultural history of Stirling and many see his works as commemorative of Stirling's importance for the study of art.

This rather idyllic image of the snoozing medic and his faithful companion is a favourite among college members and staff. It is quite a departure from Adam’s usual bright landscapes and fiery, orange cattle. However, the reverse of the canvas bears an unfinished study of horses, a more typical subject for Adam. The muted colour scheme and sense of stillness in the scene are somewhat reminiscent of Whistler. The composition is strikingly similar to that of his Arrangements in Grey and Black (The Artist’s Mother and Thomas Carlyle) both of which were displayed in Scotland in the 1880s. Although this painting is atypical of Adam’s work, he still manages to place focus on the animal. The doctor dozes in the background while the dog glances out, in recognition of the viewer’s gaze, his bright coat catching our eye. The apparent date in the bottom left of the image in anachronistic and possibly an artefact of restoration.