The artwork titled “Le chien d’or,” created by Alex Colville in 1987, is a notable piece within the Contemporary Realism movement. This animal painting depicts a dog resting in what appears to be a wooden structure, and it exemplifies Colville’s meticulous attention to detail and realistic rendering.
In the artwork, a dog is portrayed in a horizontal, calm posture, lying atop a wooden platform against a backdrop of muted, overcast skies. The dog gazes contemplatively into the distance, its body stretched out with one of its front paws hanging over the edge of the platform. The wooden structure itself is rendered in subdued tones of grey and brown, providing a stark contrast to the dog’s richly colored fur. The overall composition offers a serene yet poignant scene, reflecting the artist’s ability to capture both the physical presence and the quiet emotional states of his animal subjects.