Corot was not by habit a painter of dogs: but being a very kind man, with a heart of gold and a brush equal to any demand, it came about that, if the portrait of a domestic pet could give one of his friends pleasure, he would straightway make it. Such a votive picture you see in the frontispiece of this book, representing a species- the Gryphon or Griffon- of which I have no personal knowledge, but which I have no doubt can bring as much pleasure to its owner as any of the most popular dogs of the day.
Corot has made this particular Lou-lou or Tou-tou, or whatever he was called, an ingratiating and very intelligent little creature; which is more than can be said for all the dogs which the great masters have stepped aside to paint. That brooding animal of Piero di Cosimo´s, for example, keeping guard by the dead body of Procris, in No.698 in the National Gallery, would cut a very poor figure at Cruft´s; nor would the judges lose their heads over the nondescript ball of fluff scampering beside Tobit in No.781, attributed to the School of Andrew of the True Eye. The wise artists, painting either a subjet picture or a landscape, and having need of a dog, usually went to an expert to insert it. Corot, however, could do all; No.3816 in the same wonderful National Gallery shows us his distinguished way with a horseman.
As for the little Gryphon or Griffon which is a Belgian breed, its story is as follows:
The good Papa Corot, although a determined bachelor and very simple in his tastes, was (to quote the phrase of Théophile Sylvestre) full of "eager gallantry" and on friendly terms with many ladies of fashion, not a few of whom he painted. Among these friends was Madame Cabarras, to whom we find him writing from Bourberage, near Mortain, on the 1st of July of a year that I have not identified. This in translation is what my beloved Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot wrote to Madame Cabarras, in the letter recently brought to light, with the picture, by M. Pierre Borel, the art critic:
"Madame, I am going to bother you again and ask about the little dog that you were good enough to promise me last winter. I forgot to spea to you about it when I last had the pleasure of seeing you. You will, Madame, receive a visit from the person for whom I asked for the dog. I hope very much that you may be able to please her, for this lady has a great desire to have one; as for me, I shall be very grateful, and I than you in advance.
I go from valley to valley to look for make, sketches. I work hard. I aim at the masterpiece: nothing but that!
When I return, I shall hasten, Madame, to come and see you and thank you personally. Until then, I am, as always,
Yours very sincerely,"
C. Corot

Such was the letter; and the conjecture of M. Borel is that, when Madame Cabarras had acquiesced in Corot´s wish and given her little Griffon away (although to a possible rival in Papa´s affections), this portrait was her reward.

Taken of: "If the dogs could write" E. V. Lucas. UK, 1931