Painter based in Liverpool. Born London or Liverpool (sources differ). Son of Henry, also an artist, and brother to Mark, a theatre scenery painter, whose dog Nipper, he (possibly with another brother, Philip) looked after following Mark's death in 1887.
From "According to contemporary Gramophone Company publicity material" he also inherited a cylinder phonograph and recordings of Mark's voice. He noticed that Nipper looked appealingly puzzled when these were played and, 3 years after Nipper died, Barraud created the painting, and offered it to the manufacturer of the machine, Edison-Bell. They rejected it ("dogs don't listen to phonographs"). But the London-based Gramophone Company agreed to buy the painting if Barraud changed it to show their disc-playing phonograph.
This was done and the image went on to become an early celebrated trademark, used by a number of related record labels: Victor, RCA, EMI. Seems the title "His Master's Voice" came from a picture-naming competition.
We find the story about recordings of Mark's voice too cute - the dog listening to normal commercial recordings is more believable. We've also heard that some (overly sentimental) people see the polished surface on which Nipper sits as his master's coffin.
In the photo Barraud looks truly sick of the painting. Like an ageing pop singer being asked to sing his only hit, yet again. Buried in Hampstead Cemetery.
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