THE BRACCO ITALIANO

If you want to find one of the oldest pointing breeds in existence, you don't have to look far in Italian art history. Dogs bearing a strong resemblance to the Bracco Italiano appear in frescoes and written records going back to the 4th and 5th centuries BC. By the Renaissance, the breed had become a fixture among the Italian nobility - the Medici and Gonzaga families were known to have kept and refined them. It's a long pedigree for a dog that still looks very much the same today.

The Bracco was originally bred to work alongside falconers and to drive game into nets, a job that required patience, a strong nose, and close cooperation with hunters on foot. When firearms replaced falconry, the Bracco adapted naturally into a pointing and retrieving dog. That versatility, equally capable in the field and easy to live with at home, is still the defining quality of the breed.

The look is unmistakable. A large sculpted head, long low-set ears, and the kind of droopy jowls that give the face a permanently thoughtful expression. The body is lean, muscular, and built for a long day in the field. They move with a distinctive elongated trot, nose raised to catch the air - which is exactly what you see in this painting.

Despite the ancient lineage, the Bracco Italiano only joined the AKC in 2022. They remain relatively rare in North America, though interest has grown steadily over the past decade. Those who discover the breed tend to stay loyal to it. Gentle at home, tireless in the field, and possessed of what more than one owner has described as a genuine sense of humor.

For this painting, the subject is Vinny, whose owner commissioned a Storyscape set in the Tuscan countryside — the landscape the Bracco Italiano has hunted for centuries. The original concept called for an Italian villa in the background. After a few mockups we both agreed that the rolling hills and open sky suited the breed better. A dog built for the land deserves to stand in it.

This painting is available as a fine art print in the shop. View print options.