Antique Original Oil Painting Dog Child Cat

This is an antique folk art painting of a St. Bernard protecting a sleeping girl next to a black cat. This piece was originally painted on canvas. At some point the canvas was applied to a wooden board. It is an oval shape which we don't believe is the original shape. I believe that someone wanted to save this precious painting and therefore trimmed the ruined corners and applied it to this board in order to rescue it. Somehow, this makes it even sweeter than if it were framed normally. It measures 35 inches long by 27 inches high and .5 inches deep. It is in good vintage condition but does have some flaws- please see the photos and condition report for the condition issues. In the Victorian times, the St. Bernard was seen as a protector of children. This began with Barry the dog.According to the Southern folk artist and antique website, Barry the dog was born the year 1800 in Switzerland. Named Barry der Menschenretter, he worked as a mountain rescue dog in Switzerland for the Great St Bernard Hospice. Although Barry would be called a St. Bernard dog today, he predates the modern St. Bernard, and was lighter built than the modern breed. He has been described as the most famous St. Bernard, as he was credited with saving more than 40 lives during his lifetime. Barry's most famous rescue was that of a young boy. He found the child asleep in a cavern of ice. After warming up the boy's body sufficiently by licking him, and persuaded the boy to climb on his back, and then carried the boy to safety back to the hospice. The child survived and was returned to his parents.