Main Gallery

Dog Dogs

Dog Dogs, a sampling from an extensive series by American photojournalist Elliott Erwitt, includes over 60 black-and-white photographs taken around the world between the years 1946 and 2000. Erwitt sees the dignity of the ankle-high Chihuahua; the anxiety of the homeless hound; the patience of the pom-pommed poodle; and the matchless joy of the homely but well-loved pug. Organized by Magnum Paris and art2art Circulating Exhibitions, these acute observations of the canine world prove that human relationships with furry friends are often due to mutual resemblance and emotion.

Erwitt’s images have appeared in such publications as Life, Look, Holiday and Collier’s, as well as in the renowned 1955 Museum of Modern Art, New York exhibition The Family of Man. Born in Paris to Russian parents, Erwitt spent his childhood in Milan, then emigrated to the United States via France, with his family in 1939. As a teenager living in Hollywood, he developed an interest in photography and worked in a commercial darkroom before experimenting with photography at Los Angeles City College. In 1948 he moved to New York City and completed his formal education through film classes at the New School for Social Research. After service in the United States Army as a photographic assistant, Erwitt joined the prestigious Magnum Photos agency in 1953 with such famed photographers as Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker.

Over the years, Erwitt has published numerous books as well as feature films, television commercials and documentaries, but he is probably best-known for his candid photographs of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings.