The Bulldog Scholar Wrote for Hours. Then He Looked Up at Us.
Wrinkled brow, heavy jowls and a quill held delicately in one paw: this fawn-and-white Bulldog has been writing something important. His black robe is edged in gold embroidery, a white ruff of fur spills from the collar, and a candle burns on a shelf behind him. He glances out of the painting with the weary patience of someone who has just been asked to explain the same lesson for the third time. The folds of his robe fall in deep, heavy waves, and a few books are stacked just out of sight in the dark.
Bulldogs are sweet, steady companions with a famously laid-back attitude. Their short noses and compact build mean they can overheat easily, so they do best in cool, comfortable places with plenty of fresh water and short, easy walks rather than hard exercise in warm weather. Their facial folds also need gentle cleaning and drying, and a regular vet visit helps keep that sturdy body healthy for years.
The painter clearly enjoyed the contrast here between the lush black velvet and the soft, creamy fur at the chest. A good scholar's portrait usually shows a thoughtful mind at work, and nothing says thoughtful quite like a Bulldog considering his next word for several minutes before deciding on a nap instead.
Somewhere in that quiet study there is a grand manuscript in progress, and this scholar would like you to know it is going very well. His quill has not moved in some time, and nobody is brave enough to ask why.
