Disturbing and nightmarish, “The Dog” is one of Francisco de Goya’s celebrated "Black Paintings." Goya (1746 – 1828) begun working on the series after a devastating illness left the Spanish artist deaf and embittered. Submerged to its neck, the dog appears to cower beneath a ridge, staring out pleadingly from the bleakness of its surroundings in a desperate attempt to hide and protect itself. “The Dog” is one of the greatest masterpieces displayed in Madrid’s Museo del Prado, where it is said that contemporary painters stop to pray before the painting.

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