"Caesar at the Rubicon," Wilhelm Trübner, 1878.

Trübner (1851-1917) was a German Realist painter. Although never a major name (many of his paintings were too somber to really be popular) he did achieve a few humorous paintings with his dog, Caesar, that have endured.

He also did a lot to advance the idea of "art for art's sake," that is that a work of art should not just depict something beautiful, but be beautiful in and of itself, and that art should be free of utilitarian and didactic concerns. This was a reaction to a generation of artists who felt their art had to have a message and make a stand.

Eh...there's more than enough room for both, I say.

From the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna.

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