Barking Dog (Littmann P. 173) from White Icons by Keith Haring presents one of the artist's most recognisable motifs through a radical departure from his characteristic bold colours and black outlines.

The piece employs silkscreen with embossment to render the barking dog in pure white relief against an equally white background. This monochromatic approach forces attention onto the tactile qualities of the image, where the embossed lines create shadows and highlights that shift with changing light and viewing angles.

The embossment technique allows the barking dog to hover between visibility and concealment, requiring closer inspection to fully discern the familiar form. The barking dog had appeared throughout Haring's work since the early 1980s, often symbolising alarm, protection, or the voice of the marginalised. In the context of 1990, as Haring faced his own mortality while AIDS activism intensified around him, the muted presentation of this warning figure takes on particular poignancy.

Barking Dog demonstrates how Haring's essential imagery could function across radically different visual registers while maintaining its symbolic power and formal coherence.

For more information or to buy Barking Dog (Littmann P. 173) by Keith Haring, contact our specialists using the enquiry button above.