Guides: Everything behind a royal pet portrait
Read about the royal courts and painters behind each style, then about the practical side: the photo, the print, the frame, and portraits made as a gift or in memory of a pet.
Guide topics
How Mughal, Rajput, Sikh, Mysore and other courts portrayed their rulers
Indian court painting: how India's royal courts portrayed their rulers
How India's royal courts painted their rulers: the profile pose, the jharokha window, halos, parasols, flywhisks and turban jewels, and how to read each sign.
How Europe's kings, queens and generals were painted, from seals to photographs
European royal portraits: how Europe's courts painted their rulers
How Europe's kings, queens and generals were portrayed, from medieval seals to Victorian photographs: the poses, symbols, costumes and court painters.
The real dogs and cats of pharaohs, emperors, tsars, kings and queens
Royal pets in history: the real dogs and cats of kings, queens and emperors
The real dogs and cats of pharaohs, emperors, tsars, kings and queens, what the records say about them, and the breeds that carry their royal history today.
Van Eyck, Titian, Oudry, Goya, Landseer and the dogs in famous paintings
Dogs in art: the painters and paintings behind a royal dog portrait
Six centuries of dogs in European painting, from van Eyck's small pet to Maud Earl's grieving terrier: who painted them, what they mean and where to see them.
Egyptian bronzes, Kuniyoshi, Steinlen, Louis Wain and other artists of cats
Cats in art: the artists and artworks behind a royal cat portrait
Cats in art from Egyptian bronzes and medieval bestiaries to Kuniyoshi, Steinlen, Louis Wain and Foujita: who made them, what they mean and where to see them.
Light, focus, angles, coats, ages and file size for a portrait photo
Pet photo guide: taking and choosing the photo for a portrait
How to take or choose the photo for a pet portrait: soft light, sharp eyes, eye level, the right brightness for the coat, and a file under 5 MB.
Inkjet printing, paper, inks, resolution, sizes, colour and storing prints
Art prints and paper: how a portrait print is made, sized and kept
How an art print is made and kept: inkjet printing, archival paper and inks, fading, pixels per inch, print shapes, colour, paper weight and storage.
Frames, mats, glass, hanging height, wall hardware and safe light at home
Framing and hanging a royal pet portrait: frames, glass, walls and light
How to frame, hang and light a pet portrait print so it stays bright: frame parts, mats, glazing, hanging height, wall hardware and safe places to hang it.
Birthdays, Christmas, Diwali and more: planning a royal portrait as a gift
Pet portrait gifts: choosing a royal portrait for every occasion
How to give a royal pet portrait as a gift: which occasions suit it, how to get the photo in secret, which style and size to pick, and how to hand it over.
Grief, the right photo, a dedication and the history of pet memorials
Pet memorial portraits: remembering a dog or cat who has died
How to remember a dog or cat with a portrait: grief and support, finding the right photo, writing a dedication, and the long history of pet memorials.
The 15 styles explained: Indian and European courts, breeds and coat colours
Royal portrait styles: a guide to the 15 styles for your pet
A guide to the 15 royal portrait styles on Purrealism, grouped by Indian and European courts, with the paintings each style comes from and which pets suit it.