Alison Friend Packs a Lot of Personality into Witty Dog Portraits
All images courtesy of Artisan, shared with permission
Alison Friend Packs a Lot of Personality into Witty Dog Portraits
October 17, 2025
ArtBooks
Grace Ebert
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Dogs, they’re just like us! Perpetually anxious pizza lovers.
The pups taking center stage in Alison Friend’s beloved paintings sport a range of personalities that feel all too familiar: several hungrily snack on pastries, sip cocktails, and even present their self-portraits on everyone’s favorite toy, the Etch A Sketch.
Friend is known for her witty pieces that portray our domestic pals in the style of the Old Masters, lending a sense of reverence to her furry subjects. The artist’s first monograph, Dog Only Knows, is available this month from Artisan and collects 125 of her canine works, a small fraction of which are shown here.
Pre-order your copy in the Colossal Shop, and find more from Friend on Instagram.
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