Bulldog Art

The breed that is known as the English bull dog today is considerably different than the original bulldog. This difference can be seen in the bulldog artwork by Arthur Heyer titled 'Painting of a Bulldog'. Other artists like Philip Reinagle also depicted traditional bulldogs in their work. It actually wasn't until the original bulldog breed was bred with pugs that the modern image of the iconic bulldog emerged, with its short stature and wrinkly face. Ironically, the activity for which bulldogs are named, bull-baiting, is something that modern bulldog breeds are incapable of doing.

Bulldog pop art has steadily grown in popularity as canine art has become more widespread among modern audiences. Artists who focus on dog prints can choose to focus on one breed of bulldog or on several. For example, David Bromstad did a series of silhouette posters depicting the French bulldogs, which were known affectionately as 'Frenchy', while bypassing other breeds.

Dean Russo, on the other hand, chose to depict several different styles of bulldog in his dog artwork. His works feature English bulldogs, American bulldogs, and French bulldogs with equal amounts of style and flair. Like the graffiti artists from which Russo takes his inspiration, he usually draws them facing forward, although occasionally he'll make an exception to this rule.