Dogs

Diana Thorne (1894/95- 1963)

A noted dog painter, illustrator and author, she claimed to have been born in Winnipeg, Canada though a biography on Dianathorne.com suggests that she was born Ann Woursell on October 7, 1895, in Odessa, Russia and immigrated to Canada with her parents and siblings.

Having studied in Germany as well as England, she became noted in this country in the 1920s, beginning commercial artwork in New York City in 1929. She illustrated and sometimes authored around fifty children's books about dogs and animal life.

A sportswoman and dog owner herself, she received much acclaim for her dog etchings in which she captures motions and actions of the animals. Thorne received commissions to paint some of the most famous dogs in America, including Franklin D. Roosevelt's Scottie "Fala" and Admiral Richard E. Byrd's "Igloo", the terrier who accompanied him on his famous Antarctic Expedition.

In addition to dog etchings, she is also known for a series of socially sensitive etchings published in a 1928 portfolio, "The Human Comedy". Thorne also executed a series of popular sports etchings featuring topics such as skiing and boxing which were characterized by multiple images engraved on the same plate.

According to dianathorne.com, she died in 1963.