One of Sir Edwin Landseer’s most famous paintings, “Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveller” (seen below) was painted by the artist at the tender age of seventeen. It’s arguably the sole reason St.Bernards were thought to wear small barrels around their necks as they saved lost souls. The image stuck, no doubt helped along by Swiss Miss commercials and classic cartoons.

Another interesting historical element of the painting is that one of the Saints in it, a dog named “Caesar,” was sired by “Lion” who lived in the St. Bernard Hospice around the same time as the famous St. Bernard, “Barry.” “Lion” is believed to have been the very first St. Bernard to arrive in England, his owner Mrs. Boode of Leasowe Castle, Cheshire.  “Lion’s” portrait was also painted by Landseer which is the image you see above.