Student Essay for CWR 209 / ART 223 / COM 240 / GSS 277 Along the\nEdge: Leonora Carrington
\n\n Two Dogs Howling at the Moon is not only the earliest Carrington piece in Princeton’s\ncollection, but is also one of her more colorful works. After reading the title\nthe viewer initially focuses on the ‘two dogs’ whose heads tilt upwards towards\na ‘moon’ that is upside-down, indicating that we have entered a world that does\nnot abide by the rules we are used to. Between the two dogs, six droplets of\nwater hang suspended in the air, and it is unclear whether they are falling\nfrom the sky or are being thrown upwards by the purple lobster-like creature\nwho sits in a puddle of water below them.
Furthermore,\nthe centerpiece of the ‘two dogs’ demonstrates the theme of doubling that is\nextremely prominent throughout the rest of the painting. This pattern continues\nthrough the line of trees that mirror each other along the left and right sides\nof the work, as well as the castles in the top left and top right corners.\nHowever, within each of these pairs, Carrington has drawn deliberate\ndifferences. The castle on the right seems more illuminated than its\ncounterpart on the left as each indent and scratch on its surface is more\nclearly pronounced. When comparing the trees, those on the right stand in a row\nof three while, in contrast, only two trees line the left side of the painting.\nFurthermore, the dog and all of the trees on the right side of the painting are\nwhite while their doubles on the left are black. This difference in coloring\ngives the illusion that the tilt of the crescent moon downwards, towards the\nright sight of the painting gives its objects more light, creating a contrast between\nthe two halves of the work.
Another\ntype of doubling occurs with the orange, tree-like creature in the center of\nthe painting which peers into a blue image on the ground that may be its own\nreflection. Once again, this pair is by no means identical and is additionally\ncolored differently–the upright tree being orange while its counterpart on the\nground is a bright blue. Furthermore, with its possession of a face and arms,\nthis creature embodies Carrington’s tendency to blur the line between different\nspecies. Through providing it with human-like features, the viewer questions\nthe qualities we often associate with trees, wondering what unusual\ncapabilities it might possess.
Finally, upon closer examination of the painting, one\nnotices the white lines that trace a cube around middle of the scene and extend\noutside of the plane of the painting. This outline creates the impression that\nthe orange and blue creatures are inside of the box while the rest of the\nobjects in this painting are on the outside. Through examining this division in\nthe painting, the viewer questions the nature of the relationship between the\ndifferent objects present. Does the box aim to confine and isolate the\ntree-like creatures, or rather, are the other creatures being prevented from\nentering a sacred space in the center of the painting?
\n\nHanna Soulati, Princeton Class of 2022
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