King Charles Spaniel
Otto Eerelman (Dutch, 1839-1926)
Watercolor
10 1/2 x 8 (18 x 15 1/2 frame) inches

Signed lower right. Gallery label on the reverse "Frans Heerkens Thussen à Haarlem daté juin 1961".
An utterly exquisite watercolor by the celebrated Dutch artist Otto Eerelman (1839 – 1926) one of 19th-century Europe's most popular and important animal portraitists. 
 
This charming portrait captures a beautifully detailed painting of a King Charles Spaniel. The King Charles Spaniel is also referred to as Toy Spaniel in the US. In  Canada it's known as an English Toy Spaniel.
 
Eerleman takes care to finely render the details of his subject: the fur is soft and almost palpable, the sitter’s eyes are warm and dewy, practically gushing with sweetness. This dynamic watercolor, with its profusion of color and texture, harnesses the affectionate nature of his subject as and the muse leisurely reclines. 
 
Eerelman mastered the art of depicting not only the dogs’ physical characteristics but also their unique expressions and personalities. His wealthy clientele would bring their pets to his home in The Hague where they would live for a period of time while having their portraits done, allowing for a remarkably true-to-life portrayal. 
 
Hailing from Groningen, Netherlands, Eerelman was dubbed the “Northern Rembrandt” during his lifetime. His expressed the desire to draw developed at a very young age, however, concerned about the future of their son, Otto's parents did everything to keep him from fully dedicating himself to his artistic vocation. It’s said that his parents even hid his pencils and crayons and on one occasion burnt his tools. The passionate young artist, however, found a solution to his parents’ tricks and, using a stylus, decided to pierce his subject-matter into paper. 
 
After receiving training in calligraphy and working in an office, Otto Eerelman's dream finally came true when he entered the Academy of Minerva in Groningen. In 1863 he entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and then went on to take private lessons in the studio of the great Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema. 
 
Eventually, he captured the attention of the Dutch court, particularly Princess Wilhelmina, with his meticulous approach to endearing subjects.
 
At first Otto Eerelman devoted himself to painting history pieces, portraits, genre pieces and detailed renderings of Dutch interiors. At the beginning of the 1880s Eerelman devoted himself to the portrayal of horses and dogs. An example of one of his horse portraits is the well-known picture of a young Wilhelmina with her pony 'Baby'. During a period of thirty years Eerelman dedicated himself to documenting the life of the princess and later Queen of the Netherlands and hereby established his reputation as a respected artist.
 
The trips Eerelman subsequently undertook to Brussels, Paris, Vienna and London greatly enhanced his range of subject-matter with the artist filling sketchbooks with drafts of among others the Horse guards and the Prater. In 1867 the artist spent a sojourn in Paris and in Brussels from 1874. 
Ultimately, his portraits of dogs were always most popular. Many well-to-do dog owners brought their faithful companions to the artist's house at the Elandstraat in The Hague where it would stay for a period of time while being portrayed. Eerelman developed into a master in capturing the expression and the characters of the dogs as well as their shiny coats.
 
In 1907 he returned to Groningen, where he lived for the rest of his life. During his life he was praised and respected for his excellent work and at the age of eighty, he was knighted and the town Groningen named a street after him.
 
Otto Eerelman was so renowned that people who visited the Louvre asked, “where are Eerelman’s paintings hung?” But, during the 20th century his work was not appreciated and seemed to disappear. Now, in recent years, Eerelman’s paintings have been in high demand. From April to August, 2015, a major retrospective was held at the Museum Nienoord in Leek. During his lifetime, Eerelman’s artistic contributions were so great, and his work so valued in the Netherlands that he was knighted at the age of 80.