Picasso and Lump

It seems like you can't walk anywhere in New York without tripping over a dachshund. They are the unofficial mascot of the city and if you own one or want to buy a cute present for a friend who does, you must check out Picasso and Lump. It's not a new book but one that is utterly charming.


The story goes that "one spring morning in 1957, veteran photojournalist David Douglas Duncan paid a visit to his friend and frequent photographic subject Pablo Picasso, at the artists villa near Cannes. Traveling with Duncan was his pet dachshund, Lump. The photographers nomadic lifestyle and his other dog, a giant Afghan hound had never suited the jealous and temperamental Lump. So when they arrived at Picassos Villa La Californie that spring day, Lump decided that he had found his paradise on earth, and that he would take up permanent residence with Picasso. Lump was soon immortalized in a Picasso portrait painted on a plate, but this was just the beginning. In a suite of 45 paintings reinterpreting Velsquezs masterpiece Las Meninas, Picasso replaced the impressive hound in the foreground with jaunty renderings of Lump. Fifteen of the paintings are reproduced here, bringing full circle the odyssey of a fortunate dachshund who found his way from reluctant road warrior to furry and elongated icon of modern art. "

The Dachshund's affectionate

He wants to wed with you:

Lie down to sleep,

And he's in bed with you.

Sit in a chair,

He's there.

Depart,

You break his heart.

E.B. White