NEW YORK CITY — Bonhams presented Dogs in Show and Field: The Fine Art Sale, the 35th annual auction of dog-themed art on February 17, and, as expected, the leading lot was “Hounds and Terrier in Kennel,” an oil on canvas work by British artist John Emms. It achieved $140,000, including premium, although it had been expected to do better with a $150/250,000 presale estimate. Emms, known as a master painter of hounds and terriers, used fluid brushstrokes to highlight distinct physical characteristics of his subjects — bringing their individual temperaments to life in his works. The auction included more than 150 lots of paintings, watercolors, prints, sculpture and “Dogiana” (collars and other collectibles). The annual sale started in the United Kingdom and moved to the United States 17 years ago. Since then, its preview has coincided with the Westminster Kennel Club’s Dog Show, one of the nation’s longest running and premier sporting events.

A full report on the sale will follow later.