Object of the Day: A Drawing by Cecil Aldin, 1912

British artist and illustrator Cecil Aldin became known for his drawings of sporting life, especially his beautifully and fluid illustrations of dogs. An avid fan of dogs, Aldin particularly enjoyed drawing his canine friends.


Aldin illustrated many famous tomes from Kipling’s The Jungle Book to Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, but is most celebrated for his personal stories of dogs and their adventures. Among these is Mac, the story of a curious West Highland White Terrier.

This illustration is one of a collection from the 1912 book, Mac. Here, above Aldin’s signature, we see Mac up to his usual mischief. Of course, I find myself drawn to these illustrations because of their similarity to my Bertie. However, in their own right, they are wonderful representations of the true nature of all terriers.