The Feast in the House of Simon the Pharisee

We're going Biblical!  A few years back during a trip to France, I visited the Palace Of Versailles.  In July.  Yes, it was packed.  But worth it.  I remember the Hall of Mirrors, the beautiful grounds, and many of the paintings.

This one I especially remember - The Feast in the House of Simon the Pharisee, by Paolo Veronese in 1570:



The painting depicted Jesus invited to a meal at the house of Simon.  And what kind of a feast would it be without dogs hanging around?  A boring one, that's what. A boring one. Veronese included two dogs, one toward the left at the front of the table,and one at the far right at the end of the table.

In looking up this painting, I found that it is not the only representation of the feast.  And the awesome thing?  The others included dogs as well.  This interpretation by Bernardo Strozzi painted in 1630:



Also two dogs, one on the far left and one on the far right.

And another version, painted by Pierre Subleyras in 1737:



Three paintings of the event from three different artists, in three different centuries, and all included dogs.  I don't know why this makes me happy but it does. 

So, Jesus allowed dogs to be present at his meals. Jesus was a dog lover.  Historical fact.