Lot 50: Two Miniature Pinschers

Constant (Eugene) de Busschere (Belgian, 1876-1951) Two Miniature Pinschers signed 'C.DE BUSSCHERE' (lower right) oil on unlined canvas 15½ x 17 in. (38.7 x 43.2 cm.)

Pinschers and Schnauzers are two distinct German types, but the families have many traits in common. Although the Pinscher group has existed for many centuries, its exact origins are a matter of dispute. Even as late as 1890, the great fancier of both Pinschers and Schnauzers, Bertya, described the breed as a mixture of types, colors, hair textures and sizes. The first Pinscher Club was founded in 1895 in Cologne, and the Bayerische Schnauzer Club, an organisation to further the interest of the Munich Schnauzer (now known as the Giant Schnauzer) was formed in Munich in 1907. In 1923 these two clubs amalgamataed to form the present Pinscher-Schnauzer Club.