Art&Culture

Into the light

Inspired by 17-century paintings, photographer Nicolas Wilmouth embarks on a series of beguiling dog portraits.

READ MORE
CLOSE

Into the light

The XVIIth Century Dutch and Flemish painters surely knew how to play with chiaroscuro. By moulding light, they succeed in transforming pretty much anything, including the portraits of bleak-looking aristocrats and wealthy folk, into representations of virtue, temperance, grandiosity.

Already fascinated by this use of light, when photographer Nicolas Wilmouth set to photograph a series of dog portraits, simply named Dogs, he saw the perfect opportunity to explore the Masters’ legacy. “The idea was to take portraits of dogs, similar to those portraits of upper class citizens of that period. I wanted to  initiate a dialog with the animal, through his expressions of worry, pride, melancholia…” Wilmouth explains.

Regardless of the breed, age or background, the series portrays all dogs as stoic and dignified beings, poised, wise-looking, against the all-engulfing dark background. Behind the scenes things were not always as smooth. “The dogs had various reactions, but most of them weren’t very comfortable to start with. In order to calm the dogs, their owner stayed close to them. They sometimes had to walk them a little in order to relax them and make them pose more naturally, especially the younger dogs. There was also the smell of other dogs on the cloth and that made some of them nervous” the photographer adds.

The photoshoot lasted around three months and the images were exhibited at the Van Kranendonk Gallery (Den Haag) and at the Paris Photo fair. The project went on to inspire Wilmouth to take photos of animals in old Parisian zoos for the series Le singe, la girafe et l’ibis rouge; and at a later stage, to create Cabinet de curiosités, a collection of images of stuffed animals, currently shown at the Elbeuf Museum.


Photography by Nicolas Wilmouth
See the complete Dogs series and more of Nicolas’ work here

Tags , , , , , ,

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

CLOSE
Art&Culture
FourAndSons_OffTheLeash_Feature

Off the Leash

Cartoonist Rupert Fawcett is an old hat in the genre, his trademark wit and warmth prevalent across the board. We spoke to Fawcett about his latest project, Off the Leash.

READ MORE
Recommended
Art&Culture
FourAndSons_Tring_Feature_01

Canis Lupus Familiaris

The Natural History Museum at Tring, Hertfordshire, England, opened its doors in 1892 to showcase the private collection of Lionel Walter, 2nd Baron Rothschild. Today it still holds the largest collection of domestic dogs on display in the UK.

READ MORE
Recommended
Recommended
Art&Culture
FourAndSons_TobiasLang_Feature

The look of love

From dogs and cats, to owls and tarantulas, Tobias Lang’s photographic series
‘Your Pet and You’ sheds new light on man and their best friends.

READ MORE
Recommended
Art&Culture
FourAndSons_IDreamt_Feature_02

Sweet dreams are made of this

Susan Sabo’s latest project, I Dreamt of Dogs, helps the California-based photographer to deal with unfinished business.

READ MORE
Community
FourAndSons_DeadDogBeach_Feature01

Dead Dog Beach

Photographer Sophie Gamand’s world had been filled with bedazzled silk dresses and feathered hats until she ventured into Dead Dog Beach, Puerto Rico. This is her heartfelt account of the experience informing her work to this day.

READ MORE
Recommended