In the context of Work (painting), explain the Animals/Pets of the Characters and action.
There are multiple pets, mainly dogs, portrayed in the painting. The lower, central portion contains a tattered mongrel dog hanging around with the young children. This dog represents a pet that the lower class would have, a stray that would be there to keep the owner company. Brown refers to the dog as a "rugged democrat". Left of that there is a brown dog wearing a sweater, presumably owned, as Brown says, by the woman on the left with the blue parasol. This dog represents the wealthier upper-middle class of the society. The dog is there for companionship but also for play and to show off wealth. Brown says that the democratic dog "hates minions of aristocracy in red jackets". There is also a bulldog pup asleep near the workmen, implied to be a pet of one of the labourers. Finally on the upper central portion of the painting there is a large hunting dog owned by the most wealthy upper-class man and woman on the horses. This dog is purely bred to help hunt and the only people that are wealthy enough to go hunting, for game or sport. In the far background a dog is seen yapping at horses pulling a carriage, which is about to turn into the main street, hinting at potential disorder to come.
Animals are also referred to in the posters on the wall. A wanted poster for a burglar says that he is typically accompanied by a bulldog, and another poster advertises a lecture by "Professor Snoox" on the habits of cats. Two cats are seen on a roof. In his description Brown says that they "are denying his theory in toto".
parasol left