Cane con l'ermellino by Alina Khozhan
Explore Mondoir Studio
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 18 x 24 cm
Year: 2023
Price: $350.00 USD
Status: available
The painting shows a dog in a pose and composition similar to the original Lady with an Ermine portrait. She is depicted with a sublime expression and pose that imitates the original portrait. A parody of the famous painting "The Lady with an Ermine" emphasizes the concept of playing with classical images and addressing them with humor and irony. In this work, the artist comments on art in general, pointing out its susceptibility to fashion, changing tastes and the perception of beauty. The image of a dog instead of an aristocratic lady also evokes the idea that true beauty does not depend on social status or external attributes, but can be found in unexpected places. The palette used in the parody is chosen to reflect the style and tone of the original work, while still adding an element of play and fun. The work uses color combinations that are both bright and saturated, which emphasizes the dog’s facial expression, and muted, which creates an atmosphere of elegance and mystery characteristic of the original portrait.
Why collect this work?
A dog occupies the courtly pose associated with Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine, shifting a familiar structure of status and refinement into affectionate parody without abandoning its visual authority.
- Khozhan states that dogs are central to her practice and connect with concerns about compassion and social awareness. Here, the animal assumes the role of a formal portrait sitter rather than appearing as an object of human care.
- The photograph shows the dog turning its amber-eyed gaze sideways while holding a pale ermine against a saturated blue, gold and red costume. The surrounding black field isolates this carefully staged pairing and intensifies its ceremonial character.
- Catalogued as oil on canvas and measuring 18 by 24 cm, the painting concentrates bright colour and pale highlights within a small format. The medium supports strong tonal contrast here, though the photograph cannot establish surface texture or exact colour.
- Placed among portraits or adaptations of canonical images, this work helps examine how pose, clothing and remembered composition confer dignity, even when the expected human sitter is replaced.
About the Artist
Alina Khozhan
Alina Khozhan is an artist on Mondoir Studio. Artistic discipline: painting. Based in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Nationality: Kazakh
I explores social issues and the emotional depth of human experience through my artworks.
