Edward Aistrop was a renowned painter of dogs and portraits of dogs, working in the nineteenth and early-twentieth century. His reputation was widespread and he was frequently commissioned by owners to paint their pets and champions - whether champion bulldogs or fox terriers, Clumber spaniels or a favourite corgi. The majority of his works were portraits and head studies on a small scale; however he also produced larger narrative works, such as ‘Ratting’.

Aistrop was a successful and prolific painter able to portray the real character of a canine.