Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S.

Gifted by the artist to Geoffrey Garnier (1889–1970) and Jill Garnier (1890–1966), Newlyn;

Thence by descent;

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 14 December 2006, lot 180;

Where purchased by the present owner.

London, Barbican Art Gallery, Painting in Newlyn 1880-1930, 1985, no. 167;

Falmouth Art Gallery, Posers Exhibition, 2006.

C. Fox and F. Greenacre, Painting in Newlyn 1880-1930, exh. cat., 1985, reproduced p. 168.

Weller was a white bull-terrier owned by Munnings' friend, the artist Geoffrey Garnier. He was a dog with a lively character and Munning's portrait captures with great humour, the spirit of the animal sitting proudly to attention. The picture was painted in Garnier's studio at Trewarveneth in Newlyn c.1913. Weller is seated on the stool that the artist would sit to paint at his easle and surrounded the trappings of an artist. The picture was given by Munnings to Garnier as a mark of their friendship which is also demonstated in a series of informal photographs of Munnings and Weller on the rocks at Newlyn.

Munnings loved dogs almost as much as he loved horses. Of his own terrier Joe he said 'He was the most faithful, queer little companion in the world' (Sir Alfred Munnings, An Artist's Life, 1950, p. 264). A comparable portrait of Lady Munnings' dog entitled Pekingese seated in one of Munning's armchairs was painted in 1909 (Philadelphia Museum of Art).