portrait of 2 dogs Grand Griffon Vendéen Hunting Dogs by Jules Chardigny

portrait of 2 dogs by Jules Chardigny 
A fine oil painting on canvas depicting a Portrait of what i believe to be 2 Grand Griffon Vendéen Hunting Dogs. 
pairs of Grand Griffon Vendéen hunting dogs, as well as single portraits, were a favorite subject of Jules Chardigny, 
This is very well executed portrait of a very old breed of French hunting dogs. 
A Grand Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. It was the first of the Vendée griffons to be bred from the Greffier whose lineage dates back to the 16th Century
Signed (lower left) Housed in a gilt frame in very good condition
The size of the painting being 35.5 x 44cm (13¾ x 17¼ in.) whilst overall size is 59 x 51 cm approx.

Jules Chardigny was born in London in 1842. Son and pupil of the sculptor Pierre-Joseph Chardigny, he began his career by presenting a sculpture at the Salon of 1868. At the same time, he trained in painting alongside his master, the talented Thomas Couture. Chardigny specialized in the representation of dogs, his work offers us interesting portraits. He painted a wide range of dog portraits creating a considerable output of excellent, thoughtful portraits. He died in 1892 in Paris.
Bibliography: Bénézit, 1976: 669