Sold at Auction: Boris O'Klein

Born in Moscow and raised in France, Boris O'Klein is an artist and cartoonist known primarily for drawings and etchings involving dogs. After fighting in World War I, he relocated to Paris, where he lived until his death in 1985. O'Klein's prints, often known collectively as The Dirty Dogs of Paris, featured mischievous dogs of all kinds getting into trouble, drinking in bars, and smoking in cafes. Often amusing and sometimes lewd, these panels were created as etchings on copper plates and then printed in ink before being hand colored.

Artist Boris O'Klein produced his naughty dogs as single illustrations and as comic book panels and he sold them to tourists in Paris. Besides O'Klein's etchings, he also painted more traditional images under the name Jean Herblet, creating realistic hunting scenes and paintings of animals. Collectors browsing humorous etchings for sale online often hone in on those by O'Klein.