Welcome to Art Dogs
Meet the beloved pets that lived with beloved artists
I love learning about the pets of famous artists.
Here, for example, is Billie Holiday backstage in New York City with her Boxer “Mister,” caught on camera while eating a pair of shoes. Mister was described by some as Billie’s soulmate. Billie also owned:
a Poodle whom she reportedly wrapped in her best mink coat for his cremation following his death, as well as a Beagle, a Great Dane named “Gypsy,” “Bessie Mae Moocho,” a Wire Fox Terrier, and later came “Chiquita” and “Pepe,” baby-bottle-fed Chihuahuas.
There’s of course Picasso’s Dachshund “Lump” and Afghan Hound “Kaboul,” both of whom he immortalized in works of art.
Then there’s Michael Heizer, who brings his border collie “Tomato” as his date to art galas.
And, though photos are exceedingly rare, there’s Mitz the marmoset that lived with Virginia and Leonard Woolf. Above, Mitz gazes out of a window in Rome in a photograph captured by Leonard.
Once a week, I’ll share a short dispatch introducing you to the pets—dogs, yes!, but also cats, lizards, marmosets, and more—that were kept by our favorite artists.
You can subscribe to receive these weekly posts to your email inbox.
Starter pack
Here are some of my personal favorite Art Dog editions:
Who writes this newsletter
Hi there. My name is Bailey. I work here at Substack, where I've been tasked with leading three teams: community, marketing, and writer success.
Before that, I ran People & Company—a small company I founded with Kai and Kevin. We interviewed extraordinary people organizers on our podcast and published a book with Stripe Press on how to build communities today. In 2021, we were acquired by Substack.
A decade ago, I grew the early community around Instagram, where I was one of the first 10 employees. I also worked at IDEO, StoryCorps, Pop-Up Magazine and The California Sunday Magazine.
But before all of that I was an art history student. I’m still that at heart. This newsletter is a simple way for me to tap into my love for art—to learn a bit more about the lives of artists I admire—and to pet gaze.