The Saint Bernard is one of the most recognisable dogs in the world and carries one of the most legendary working histories of any breed. The monks of the Great St Bernard Hospice in the Swiss Alps began using the breed for rescue work in the Alps in the seventeenth century, and the dogs saved the lives of thousands of travellers over the following two centuries. The iconic image — the great dog in the snow, the small barrel of brandy at its neck — is one of the most enduring in dog history, even if the brandy barrel is more legend than fact. The modern Saint Bernard carries this legacy in its face: the large, gentle head, the deep-set eyes and the expression of calm, patient kindness.
Coat and colour
Saint Bernards come in rough and smooth coat varieties, always in red and white or mahogany and white with the characteristic dark markings on the face. The rough-coated variety has a dense, flat coat with heavy feathering. The smooth variety has a shorter, denser coat that lies flat against the body.
Red and white Saint Bernards — the most common colouring — produce portrait results of great warmth. The rich red against the white ground suits oil painting with its warm palette tradition. The large, gentle face with its dark markings provides the portrait's emotional centre.
Mahogany and white Saint Bernards have a deeper, richer coat colour. The dark mahogany in the painting tradition takes on a quality of deep warmth that suits the breed's monumental scale.
The dark facial markings — the mask around the eyes, the ears and the saddle — are consistent across all colour variations and give the portrait a natural compositional structure. In formal styles the dark markings frame the large, gentle face with a natural drama.
Recommended styles for the Saint Bernard
Oil painting is the warmest and most appropriate choice for a breed of this history and scale. Old Masters suits the scale and legendary history in the most formal tradition. Renaissance — the gentle giant in the formal portrait tradition creates portraits of unexpected grandeur. Snow Fun — the breed's Alpine rescue heritage suits this style with historical resonance. Vintage — the breed's nineteenth-century rescue history suits the warmth of the vintage tradition.
Photo tips
The head is the defining portrait feature of the Saint Bernard — the large, broad skull, the deep-set eyes and the gentle expression are what the portrait builds around. A photo taken at eye level or slightly above, with the dog looking toward the camera, captures the full expressiveness of the face. The dark facial markings should be clearly visible and well defined. Rough-coated Saint Bernards should be photographed in natural light that picks out the coat's texture and feathering. The scale of the dog is worth conveying — including the neck and broad chest gives the portrait a sense of the breed's impressive size.