Paw & Glory Featured in The New York Times: Pet Portraits Go Mainstream

Paw & Glory was featured in The New York Times in March 2026 as part of a wider look at the growing popularity of commissioned pet portraits. The article, written by Dorie Chevlen, explored why more people are treating portraits of their pets as proper home art rather than novelty decoration.

It is a subject rather close to our heart, admittedly. We have spent years putting dogs and cats into uniforms, royal costumes and all manner of unnecessarily dignified situations. Eventually the newspaper of record noticed that humans have become very serious about hanging pictures of animals in their houses. Civilisation continues.

What did The New York Times say?

The feature, The New Family Portrait Has Four Legs and a Tail, was published on 28 March 2026. It looked at the long history of animal portraiture and the much more modern habit of commissioning artwork of individual companion animals.

Paw & Glory was included as an example of an online pet portrait company, with the article noting that customers can transform a pet photo into character-led artwork, including the sort of gloriously overqualified admiral look that has become one of our calling cards.

Why are pet portraits becoming more common?

The interesting part is not simply that pet portraits exist. They have existed for centuries. What has changed is who commissions them and why.

For many households, pets are part of the family structure. Their photographs sit alongside family photos, their routines shape the week, and their questionable behaviour becomes household folklore. Turning one of those photos into artwork is therefore less about pretending a dog is an aristocrat and more about giving a familiar face a permanent place in the home.

Modern pet portraits are also easier to commission than traditional painted portraits. A clear phone photo can be used as the starting point, customers can choose a style that suits the pet and the room, and the artwork can be reviewed before production. Our personalised pet portrait guide explains what to consider before ordering.

From serious portraiture to pets in uniform

One reason the category has grown is that there is no single correct way to portray a pet. Some owners prefer a clean, modern portrait. Others want a traditional royal composition. Others quite reasonably decide that their spaniel has the bearing of a decorated naval officer.

The important bit is still likeness. A costume or dramatic background should add personality without making the animal unrecognisable. Good source photos, visible facial detail and a familiar expression matter more than piling on decorative ideas.

Choosing a pet portrait that works in a real home

If you are considering a portrait, start with three decisions:

• Photo: choose an image where the eyes, face shape, ears and markings are easy to see.
• Style: decide whether you want understated artwork or something deliberately theatrical.
• Display: think about the room, wall space and whether a framed print or canvas will suit it better.

You can browse our custom pet portraits for examples of different approaches, from relatively restrained to completely lacking in restraint.

A rather nice milestone

Being mentioned by The New York Times is a meaningful milestone for Paw & Glory, but the larger story is more interesting: personalised pet art has moved well beyond a tiny novelty niche. People are choosing to display their animals alongside the other things they care about.

Frankly, the pets appear to have won the wall-space argument.