Sally Arnup FRBS, ARCA (1930-2015)
"Seated Bloodhound"
Signed and numbered V/X, bronze, 54cm high

Since prehistoric times, dogs have been depicted on the walls of caves, in Roman mosaics and ceramics and the ancient Egyptians celebrated Anubis - the god of the dead who watched over the dead and celebrated their fate in the underworld. Also in Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus' dog Argos was the only one to recognise him upon his return after 20 years away. Dogs symbolise loyalty, fidelity, guidance, protection, alertness and love.

Therefore, unsurprisingly when we contacted Hannah (Sally's daughter) to ask if there was any particular reason why there were so many dogs in the collection her answer was that:

"We always had pets and animals around and it often dominated our lives. We had over the years: dogs, sometimes a cat (reluctantly), monkey, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, geese, ducks, peacocks, guinea fowl (noisy beasts), a ram, owls, foxes, fish and a snake. They were a constant part of our lives, as I remember, it was not uncommon for us to start the day with digging for 20 worms ...to feed the frogs, toads and newts.

But dogs were her passion and were so important to her and therefore her work. Virtually all the dog bronzes were commissioned from adoring owners, many of whom became lifelong friends (both dog and owner)."

Hannah reminisces of the bloodhound: "Her name was Trinket. She was an incredible character and of determined nature. I remember her with mixed emotions as she devoured in one swallow the freshly baked Swiss Roll that I was most proudly presenting to the family for a summer afternoon tea. My father commented that he had never seen me so angry!"

Trinket portrays Sally's ability to not only perfectly render the animal's appearance, but to convey the stoic, droopy, noble features of the creature.

Her insistence on working directly from her subject and her ability to control her medium allowed Sally to explore and depict the hound's coat and features. She had the ability to convey the humour in the relationship between man and beast.

Even at art college Sally was sure of her subject from the outset, much to the envy of many of her contemporaries.

On the completion of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's Fell Pony 'Storm', commissioned for His Royal Highness's 80th Birthday, he stated:

"It is no mean achievement to be able to convey the character, and characteristics, of individual animals in bronze. Sally Arnup has a wealth of experience in the sculpture of animals, and she also has the talent to capture their personality."