Keith Haring Dog (Littman p.49) For Sale

Dog is a lithograph created by Haring in 1985. The present print is of principal importance as dogs are amongst the artist’s most widely known motifs or symbols. They appear in early and late works by the artist. Here, Haring maximises the impact of the dog in its stance and large-scale. 

Throughout Haring’s corpus, dogs often represent violence and oppression. However, in ancient history and in popular culture they are also very symbolic. In Egypt canines were associated with the God Anubis, who ruled death and the afterlife, whilst the modern domestic affection for dogs is tied to obedience and companionship. Haring arguably subverts the modern interpretation and represents dogs with a somewhat menacing power: as exemplified here, the dog stands on all fours with its jaw open. Inside Haring’s strong outlines of the creature is a rich tapestry of smaller scenes; humans riding dogs as if they were horses, dogs biting the legs of humans, seemingly lycanthropic half-man half dogs and humans having intercourse with dogs. Amongst these at once comical and disturbing snippets is a clear theme of power and control. Dogs compete with humans for dominance, and humans are at times tortured by them.  

Having created series dedicated to anti-apartheid (Free South Africa), Haring was often preoccupied by themes of oppression and division. Though Dog does not appear to deal with a particular political event, it treats the subject of control in a broad, universalist manner that is very much aligned with Haring’s utopian ideals.