A Great Dane Lady in Waiting Fans Herself in the Candlelight
The black-and-white patches on this harlequin Great Dane's face look like an artist's careful ink splashes, and her soft brown eyes carry a gentle, patient look. She wears a navy cap trimmed in lace and pearls, with a wide white ruff over a dark velvet gown embroidered in gold. In her paw she holds an ivory lace fan, folded halfway open and held with surprising delicacy for such a big dog. The painting is so dark and rich that her pale ruff seems to hover in the shadows.
Great Danes are known as gentle giants, and the harlequin pattern, white with irregular black patches, is among the best-loved coats. They are usually friendly and calm indoors, though a young Dane can be clumsy and needs patient training while growing. Large dogs have special needs: they need roomy beds to rest joints, several small meals rather than one large one, and a vet who knows about large-breed concerns like bloat. They are also surprisingly happy to relax, so a couple of moderate walks a day are often plenty.
As a lady in waiting, she has certainly learned grace. We imagine she waits for the queen's every wish with the same quiet attention that a Dane gives to a family dinner, just in case something falls. Elegant, patient and enormous, she makes the whole court look smaller.
