During the Renaissance, detailed portraits of the dog as a symbol of fidelity and loyalty appeared in mythological, allegorical, and religious art throughout Europe, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Diego Velázquez, Jan van Eyck, and Albrecht Durer.
@sadkitten is countering 50% of @dogfact self-votes for 1 week starting Friday, September 7th 2018 because it is part of last weeks top self-voters. For more details see this post.