st. bernards to the rescue

thanks wikimedia (PD old 100)

Here's an image I found unusual.  We all know St. Bernards were bred to rescue people lost in the snow, and usually we see them at the point of triumphant discovery.  In this painting by John Emms (English, 1844-1912) we see a brace of these heroes facing out into the storm, to what end we don't know yet.  Will the monk reassuring them be going with them?  It will be a tough go for him if he does: he's from a discalced order, which means he wears sandals, not shoes.  The St. Bernard breed is named after the Great St. Bernard Hospice that began breeding them around the 1600s; the rescue dogs are now raised by a foundation in Marigny.