Renaissance artist dog names: the real dogs painted by the masters

Part 1

What renaissance artist dog names actually mean

The man in the Arnolfini Portrait is thought to be the merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini, and van Eyck signed and dated the painting himself above a mirror in the room.

Part 2

Van Eyck's dog in the Arnolfini portrait

Jan van Eyck painted the Arnolfini Portrait in 1434, showing a wealthy merchant couple in a room in Bruges. Between the couple stands a small dog, described in some accounts as terrier-like and in others as a lapdog. Infrared study of the painting shows that van Eyck added the dog after he had already laid out the room, painting it directly onto the panel rather than sketching it first. Descriptions of the dog vary, from a small lapdog to a wiry-haired, terrier-like animal, so its exact breed is not settled. Art historians read the dog as a symbol of fidelity between the husband and wife, a common use of dogs in portraits of this kind. Some scholars have also linked the dog to the tradition of placing dogs at the feet of women on tomb monuments, meant to guide them in the afterlife, which feeds a separate theory that the portrait is a memorial rather than a wedding scene. The dog sits among other signs of the couple's wealth, such as an oriental rug, a brass chandelier, and imported oranges, underlining that this was the home of a prosperous merchant.

Part 3

Titian's dogs and their names

Titian painted a small dog curled at the feet of the reclining woman in his Venus of Urbino, a painting Guidobaldo II della Rovere bought from him in 1538. Titian paired the dog with a myrtle plant on the windowsill, and both were read as symbols of constancy and fidelity in marriage.

Part 4

Why dogs appeared so often in renaissance art

A dog painted at a sitter's feet or on a bed usually stood for fidelity, whether marital loyalty or loyalty to a household. Small lapdogs were also fashionable companions in wealthy households, so including one in a portrait signaled refinement and status alongside devotion.

Part 5

Names inspired by renaissance art today

If you want a name inspired by renaissance art for your own dog, you can look to the painters, the paintings, or the symbolism the dogs carried. Names like Bruges or Urbino point to the places connected to these famous paintings. A name built around the idea of loyalty echoes the symbolism these renaissance dogs often carried. Whatever you choose, a name that fits your dog's look or personality will suit them better than a name picked for its history alone.

• Titian, after the painter whose Venus of Urbino features a small dog symbolizing fidelity.
• Urbino, taken from the title of Titian's Venus of Urbino.
• Costanza, after Costanza Trenta, believed by some historians to be the woman shown in the Arnolfini Portrait.
• Fidelis, built around the idea of loyalty that renaissance painters often gave their painted dogs.