A Street Scene in the Dog Days

A Street Scene in the Dogdays (Danish: En gadescene fra hundedagene) is an 1832 oil on canvas genre painting by Wilhelm Marstrand, depicting a dog catcher at work in the streets of Copenhagen.

Jesper Svenningsen has observed that the painting may also be perseived as containing an element of political satire; " One could certainly choose to interpret the scene to say that the well-bred are protected while those of less noble stock are more at risk – that in class society, we are not equal in the eyes of the law".

[1] Marstrand has incorporated his own signature in the motif by placing his initials and the date on a shop sign in the upper left corner of the painting.

[3] The painting was later owned by Henriette Albertine Gottschalck.

In 1909, in accordance with her will, it was donated to the National Gallery of Denmark.

arstrand's signature seen on a detail of the sign in the upper left corner of the painting.
One of Marstrand's sketches for the painting.