Euergides Painter, Athenian red-figure cup, c. 500 B.C., from the Ashmolean Museum.
Euergides Painter, Athenian red-figure cup, c. 500 B.C., from the Ashmolean Museum.

If you love art, dogs, and Twitter, today is your day.

The English art museum Compton Verney is on to something with its celebration of depictions of canines, in its #DogsInPaintings hashtag, now trending on Twitter.

Here is the tweet that started it all:

The Ashmolean Museum reminds us that dogs in art are nothing new:

We love this little guy, from London’s National Gallery:

Marilyn Rust reminisces about this sentimental fave:

Even mighty emperors loved dogs in art. Below is an album leaf painting by Zhu Zhanji (Emperor Xuanzong), who ruled as the Xuande Emperor from 1426-1435:

The manuscript illuminators who decorated the Book of Kells had a thing for furry creatures:

This terrier has an important call to make, it seems:

Hot dogs … get it?

Back to regular dogs with this stunning Bronzino:

One of art history’s most iconic works harbors a snoozing doggie:

The National Gallery points out that dogs serve a symbolic function:

Aw, cute. Look. Dogs acting like people!

Note the dog collar motif in this clever brooch:

The Ashmolean comes through with this 1931 ink and color on silk hanging scroll:

The great art critic John Ruskin wasn’t above a little anthropomorphizing:

Most lovable dog ever?

Dogs can be modern too, curator Imogen Gibbon says:

Here’s a classic:

It’s always sunny … when man’s best friend is around.