William Wegman, *Yoga*. Courtesy of the artist and Sperone Westwater.

Written by Trip Avis

All photographers have their muses—human, animal, structural, botanic, or conceptual. Steven Meisel has Linda Evangelista and Kristen McMenamy. Ansel Adams had his mountains and ravines. William Wegman has his beloved Weimaraners, which he swathes in whimsical, anthropomorphic costuming. Wegman and his velvety, blue-gray hounds have captured the hearts and imaginations of everyone from the art world echelons to schoolchildren who grew up with his tender, fantastical images in storybooks like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Farm Days. Pulling from over thirty years of dedicated work shot with a large-format Polaroid camera, Sperone Westwater presents William Wegman: Favorite Models, which celebrates the charm and astonishing professionalism of five of men’s best friends who moonlight as models: Fay, Batty, Chip, Penny, and Candy. Each dog displays traits that have made them favorites of Wegman over the years, but their collective efforts have helped earn the artist his mainstay status in pop culture and photography. Forget waking up for less than $10,000 a day; all these models need are a head scratch, praise, and a treat.

William Wegman, *Feathered Footwear*. Courtesy of the artist and Sperone Westwater.

There is no denying that the Weimaraners are striking to behold. Their cool, amber-gray eyes, downy ears, and statuesque figures are a smooth segue into portrait modeling—if their disposition allows it. Exclusively lensing the breed between 1989 and 2007, it would seem that Wegman found the ideal canine muses. In Feathered Footwear, Wegman utilizes the natural length and high arch of the Weimarener’s foot. Strapped into a black high-heeled shoe featuring a gladiator, or caligae, strap design, and wispy feathers emerging from the toe strap, the dog’s foot is reminiscent of a ballet dancer en pointe. The matte glow of the yellow background recalls fashion editorials from the 1960s. Despite the obvious camp element of a dog in a high fashion setting, the indelible elegance of the canine’s form makes the portrait feel more chic and polished than funny or unserious.

William Wegman, *Dressed to Boots*. Courtesy of the artist and Sperone Westwater.

One of the most beguiling elements of the Weimaraner breed is their eyes. From amber to ice blue, their ocular expressions run the gamut from icy and unsettling to pensive and soulful. Further toying with humanizing his subjects, Wegman shot the dog’s profile and placed a cutout image of a model’s elegantly lashed eye over its own. Combining canine and human features has a surreal effect and further blurs the line between uncanny and naturalistic. Dressed to Boots is perhaps the most iconic—and anthropomorphic—of the photographs included in the exhibition. It features one of the Weimaraners dressed in metallic red pants, heeled white Chelsea boots, and a lapis blue blazer with fish ornamentation. The dog exudes a suave rakishness; its cool-heeled, almost dour expression dares the viewer to laugh. However, the underlying lightheartedness becomes more apparent when you notice a pair of gray clawed feet peaking out beneath the white dress shirt. One cannot help but wonder what the model was thinking about during this iconic moment's lensing.

William Wegman, *On Base*. Courtesy of the artist and Sperone Westwater.

William Wegman’s Favorite Models is a walk down memory lane for those old enough (but young enough at heart) to remember the playfully staged pictures of serious-looking dogs that depicted everything from rural life to favorite fairytales. Perhaps, most importantly, it is a testament to the relationship between humans and beloved four-legged friends. The dogs trusted Wegman, and he trusted them; the rest is history.

On display at Sperone Westwater between March 1 and April 20, 2024.