Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Alexa Beattie

A Hungry Dog is a Loyal Dog

inspired by La Fontaine’s fable The Dog Which Carried Round His Neck His Master’s Dinner. Originally written to warn against greed and endorse subservient loyalty, the tale casts moral judgment on a dog for fulfilling its basic needs when their life is threatened, like any other animal. The dog’s face is shoved in a basic need they are not allowed to access every day, just as I have sewn my figure’s mouth shut as a permanent witholdance of proper care, allowing the apples to rot. My figure looks up at the viewer pleadingly, silently begging for access to sustenance. Their treatment leads them to the belief that they do not deserve to have their basic needs met, creating feelings of shame when the ‘servant’ does act on their needs.It is natural to want your needs fulfilled; loyalty is not proven by hurting or denying yourself.