I’ve always admired Landseer’s work and this painting which was commissioned by Queen Victoria as a surprise Christmas gift for Prince Albert particularly resonates for a few reasons.

Queen Victoria wanted to have the Prince’s favourite things brought together for this special painting including his beloved greyhound, Eos who came with him when he moved to England.

By all accounts the marriage between Victoria and Albert was a love match and this gift beautifully expresses the Queen’s understanding of the preciousness of our loyal pets and special objects & how they can help us fit in to an unfamiliar place and also remind us of the things left behind. She must have adored him and been very aware of all he sacrificed to be with her.

Unfortunately as Landseer required the top hat, gloves and walking stick in his studio their absence was noted by the Prince who had the palace turned upside down to find the “missing” items!

I too undertook a similar surprise birthday gift painting commission and was asked to wander through a client’s home when they were on holiday to get a sense of what to paint and to borrow a few things to take back to my studio. Needless to say the client’s wife was disturbed by her “missing” items and after much cajoling was assured they would be found soon.

I’ve always thought that creating a special and very personal commission like this is an enormous privilege. But it’s also a challenge to express on canvas the essence of someone’s life while also retaining your own artistic style. Landseer was able to use his extraordinary skill to create a painting that at first glance seems quite simple but is so perfectly balanced in its striking colour and composition to draw you in and contemplate these beloved objects.

It’s also a beautiful and enduring story of love and is a testament to how the everyday things around us are imbued with our own special stories.

By adding a few of my favourite things on the tabletop below I hope re-presenting “Eos” in this way reminds us that while many things have changed since 1841…love, loyalty and friendship are always our greatest gifts - both to give and to receive.