The artwork titled “Dogs for Sail,” created by Clementine Hunter around 1940 in Natchitoches, United States, is a genre painting executed in watercolor. Belonging to the Folk art and Outsider art movements, this piece measures 30.48 x 38.1 cm.
In the artwork, Clementine Hunter illustrates a quaint scene that depicts an informal market setting, where an individual, cloaked in a blue hooded garment, seems to be conducting a transaction or an exchange near a small group of dogs. The dogs, varying in colors and equipped with collars, are tethered together, presumably for sale as indicated by the sign overhead which reads “Dogs for Sail”. Adjacent to the individual is another figure, engaged with a bowl in hand, perhaps partaking in the transaction. The scene is framed by textured curtains, which provide an intimate and domestic aura to the piece. The use of watercolor imparts a delicate and fluid quality to the painting, while the naive and simplified style underscores its folk and outsider art roots.
