A celtic cousin to the Scottish Deerhound?

Painted at the time when the scientific world and Charles Darwin was set about categorization and specific labeling of life specimens, it comes as no surprise that this fine hound is labeled as a ‘Welch Deerhound’.

I suspect, that Wales is either where the artist discovered his subject, or where the hounds’ owner informed Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins that his subject was from. The Artist was famed for his illustrative works featuring creatures from a much earlier age, than indeed the oldest hounds (follow the links to find out more).

Perhaps there is simply a romanticism in the painting to the chivalrous dark-ages of dashing knights and beautiful princess’ that Mr Hawkins was portraying for pleasure. Who knows? Check out the fantastic Medieval history of Wales for (like most countries histories of the period,) just how unchivalrous it all was.

Well, at least we deerhounds have been consistently courteous and gallant with that good old Scottish heritage. You can take the hound out of Scotland, as they say . . .

Enjoy.