English Bulldog in Toile Needlepoint Kit

An English Bulldog in the tradition of antique toile textiles — crisp, finely drawn detail, a low and broad silhouette, and the folded brow and settled stance that give the breed its particular gravity. The generous white ground keeps the composition clean and open, drawing on the visual language of traditional sporting prints and blue-and-white porcelain. The bulldog was bred in England for bull-baiting, and when that sport was outlawed in 1835 the breed came close to disappearing altogether. Breeders who wanted to keep it began selecting for gentleness instead, and within a few decades they had turned the qualities that once made a fighting dog into qualities of character. The Bulldog Club of England set the first formal standard in 1875. Mesh Count: 18 Skill Level: Advanced Finishing Suggestions: Framed art; pillow; tailored accent for a study, library, or sitting room