Greyhound or Whippet

Cast iron
Ca. 1850-1860
4’ 4” long

This was a popular dog figure in America from the mid to late nineteenth century. A marble greyhound called Arno, Queen Victoria’s dog was done by Horatio Greenough (1805-1852) in 1838. Adelicia as was many Americans were followers of the style trends set by Victoria. Similar pieces were found in most iron catalogs of the period. The style appears in the 1853 Robert Wood & Company Catalogue as product “I.” It also appears as No. 78 [3ft. 2 in.] in the 1858 Jane, Beebe & Company Catalogue. This is one of two known greyhounds surviving from the estate [1, 2].

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[1] Israel, Barbara Antique Garden Ornament: Two Centuries of American Taste. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1999.
[2] Grissom, Carol A. Zinc Sculpture in America: 1850-1950. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 2009.