# Vizsla - Art or History?



## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

This thread may go nowhere but I thought about this during a hill walk a couple days after Westminster and the comments on that thread.

Is the current Western European and North American ideal for the Vizsla based on an appreciation of art or an appreciation of history?

I have my viewpoint, but like everything in life, viewpoints are just that: Points of View.

How do you see the Vizsla? Hope to keep it polite and on topic.
"Both" is the easy answer. If is 60% for art then it's art.

Enjoy your weekend. Off to the hills for a hike.

RBD


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

ART records History & @ times predicts the Future - 4 whats that's worth - LOL


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Interesting question. I'm not sure if I'm interpreting it the way you intend, but here goes.

Both might be the easy answer, but I also think it is the ideal answer. Note, I didn't say the correct answer.

There is definitely an aesthetic appeal to the vizsla. It's the immediate reaction "ooh what breed is that?" we've all heard when out walking with our dogs. Those strangers may not have any concept of what a pointer, bird dog, or hunting dog really is but they can appreciate the lean lines, the rich color, and the graceful movements of a vizsla. I'd liken that to the average person viewing a piece of art or listening to a song. They aren't equipped with the vocabulary to explain why they do or do not like it. They don't know the theory behind it. They just know how it makes them feel. On the other hand someone who has studied art/music may not like a piece, but their understanding helps them appreciate it. Going back to dogs, I don't care for the droopy look of some hound dogs, but knowing that look has a function helps me appreciate it. 

Function is where history comes in. Why is the V self-colored? To blend in an Autumn field. Why does it have a deep chest? It needs powerful lungs to support aerobic activity. Vs are versatile though. Originally this meant more that they could hunt different quarry, but today we say that to mean they can be hunters, running partners, dock divers, therapy dogs, etc. They have one form, but multiple functions. Does someone who uses a V for a new purpose appreciate their historical purpose? Are they helping to erode that historical purpose? If the Vizsla is purely hunter, then yes. I believe they are not. Everything I've read says that the English and the Germans bred far more unilateral dogs than the Hungarians. 

For me the dichotomy is between art and design, not art and history. Design is art with function, the main law of which is that form follows function. The issue many of us have with some show lines is that they are ignoring that function for the purpose of aesthetics, thereby relegating the Vizsla to the category of art. Pretty perhaps, but no more useful as a sporting breed than a painting of a pen is for writing.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Einspanner,
Nicely written! A breed that goes back to the 900's is a historic breed.

As I hiked today, I also thought of music. Pop music is current. "Pop" short for popular. Classic music, such as written by Beethoven, is the Vizsla in my opinion. How many musicians, over the centuries attempted to "improve " his works?

Can we keep "classic" dog breeds classic? 

Found a European breed book from the late 1800's. At the time there were well over 300 dog types described.

The Hungarian Empire had three hunting dogs. That is history.
The Transylvanian Hound, Hungarian Hound, and the Vizsla.

The Transylvanian hound may not survive as a breed. Less than 1,000 left. It lost it's purpose, because it wasn't overly handsome and not much bear and boar hunting occurs. The Hungarian Grayhound may be down to a few hundred. Big and fast hound but too big and not that fast to make it distinct.

The Vizsla may be the last piece of that history will be left. 

RBD


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

watching a vizsla work their ground is like watching "poetry in motion", poetry is an art form so I guess watching a V work is witnessing "living art", not sure if that's sitting on the fence but given the choice between strolling the Tate or a bird ground I know where I'd rather be,,,


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

...and I'm damned sure Ruby would rather be where I was too ;D


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Now 2 the POINT - a 1000yrs of breeding 2 have a prey driven pup - fur or feather - guard pup & companion - why ? change history for a breed that is perfect @ what they were bred 2 do - cave art shows the basics of a V - 4 me art - history all comes down 2 this ! does the pup hunt ? to do less is not supporting the breed - I loVe historical portraids of V's - they R priceless !!!!!!!!!


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