Sympathy

A girl in disgrace, and a dog who stays

A little girl in a blue dress sits on the stairs, chin in her hand, clearly sent there as a punishment. Beside her, a white bull terrier presses close and rests its head against her. She looks away, sulking; the dog offers comfort without being asked.

Briton Rivière painted Sympathy in 1877. It became one of his best-loved pictures, and he painted more than one version.

Two faces side by side

The girl’s face is sullen and thoughtful, her red-gold hair falling over her forehead. The dog’s head leans in beside hers. Rivière made the contrast between her stubbornness and the dog’s gentle loyalty the whole subject of the picture.

The dog sits upright and still, its body turned towards her, a quiet guardian.

A carpeted stair in a Victorian home

The patterned stair carpet and carved wooden panelling place the scene in a comfortable Victorian house. Rivière painted them with care, but they stay in the background of the small drama.

Questions about Sympathy

Who painted it?

The Victorian animal painter Briton Rivière, in 1877.

Where is it?

A version belongs to Royal Holloway, University of London.

Why is the girl on the stairs?

She appears to have been sent there in disgrace; the dog keeps her company.

What breed is the dog?

A white bull terrier.

Sources and image credit

• Wikimedia Commons: Sympathy, Royal Holloway

Public-domain reproduction of Sympathy (1877), via Art UK and Wikimedia Commons. Detail images are crops of the same image; no reconstruction or upscaling.