The Birth of Pug

Acrylic on Canvas, 2024

After finishing Dobby with the Pearl Earring and Pug Gothic, I was looking for another piece that would be equally exciting and funny to include in my classical parodies collection. I’m not proud to admit it, but it took a Red Bull commercial of two talking clams for me to remember Sandro Botticelli’s “The birth of Venus.” While I’m positive that each component of Botticelli’s painting carries some form of symbolism, my only motivation was “Hey, wouldn’t it be hilarious if I painted The Birth of Venus but with pugs?” Apart from Dobby as the maiden in a paw print gown, the three pugs are not representative of my own pugs. The cloth Dobby’s holding is a bone print fabric, since who doesn’t love a good bone print bandana? It’s my pleasure to present to you, “The Birth of Pug.”