Lump (dog)

Lump (1956 – 29 March 1973), was a Dachshund owned by David Douglas Duncan who lived with artist Pablo Picasso for six years, and featured in several of his works.

Early life

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, and named after the German word for "rascal", the dog was acquired by David Douglas Duncan, an American photographer. Lump was purchased at the age of three months from a German family in order to act as a companion for Duncan's Afghan Hound, Kubla. The two dogs did not get along well, with the larger Afghan treating Lump much like a toy, rolling him around Duncan's apartment.

Pablo Picasso

Lump first met Picasso on April 19, 1957 at La Californie, Picasso's hillside mansion in Cannes. His owner, David Douglas Duncan, had photographed Picasso for the first time during the previous year. On this occasion he chose to bring along Lump, as the Dachshund didn't get along with his other dog. While having lunch with his future wife Jacqueline Roque and Duncan, Picasso enquired if the dog had ever had a plate of his own. When Duncan responded no, Picasso picked up a brush and paint that were on the table and painted a portrait of Lump on his own dinner plate. With the work dated and inscribed to Lump, he handed the plate to Duncan as a gift. The dog felt immediately at home and stayed with Picasso for the next six years at La Californie, living with Picasso's Boxer Yan and a goat named Esmeralda. Duncan spoke of Lump and Picasso, "This was a love affair. Picasso would take Lump in his arms. He would feed him from his hand. Hell, that little dog just took over. He ran the damn house."