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High Life
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British artist Edwin Landseer painted this High Life in 1829 as one half of a deliberately contrasting pair. Its companion, Low Life, depicts a scrappy terrier on the doorstep of a butcher's shop. Here, a Scottish deerhound represents the aristocratic world of chivalry and refinement, sitting vigilantly beside his master's armchair.
The room furnishings tell the story of the absent owner: a large armchair, heavy curtains, a substantial table. Everything suggests wealth and status. The deerhound guards this property with quiet dignity, embodying the qualities Victorians associated with the noble classes and their faithful companions.
The pair was first exhibited in 1831 and acquired by Robert Vernon, who donated them to the nation in 1847. Both paintings now hang at Tate Britain in London. Landseer's ability to capture canine character while commenting on human society made him one of the most popular artists of the Victorian era.
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About High Life
The work displayed at Tate Britain in London alongside its companion piece, Low Life. Both were donated to the nation in 1847.
Low Life shows a scruffy terrier outside a butcher's shop. Together, the pair contrasts aristocratic and working-class dogs as representations of their absent owners.
A Scottish deerhound represents aristocratic society. Landseer chose this breed for its associations with nobility and the hunting traditions of the upper classes.
Landseer painted High Life in 1829. The pair was first exhibited at the British Institution in 1831 and became popular examples of his talent for animal portraiture.
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