---
title: The Dog, the Baby, and the Viper
author: Jeanne Élisabeth Chaudet
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21042/the-dog-the-baby-and-the-viper/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2025-09-25
---

# The Dog, the Baby, and the Viper

_Authored by Jeanne Élisabeth Chaudet_

## Image File

[![The Dog, the Baby, and the Viper](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21042.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21042.jpg)

## Image Caption

*Child Asleep in a Cradle Under the Care of a Brave Dog Who Just Killed Near Him a Huge Viper*, oil on canvas painting by Jeanne Élisabeth Chaudet, c. 1801.

Inspired by a late 18th-century book of fables, the story depicted in the painting has medieval origins. Stephen of Bourbon (1180-1261) tells us that Guinefort, a greyhound belonging to a knight near Lyon, saves its master's baby from an enormous snake. The knight, having returned from a hunt, sees the chaos in his child's room and the greyhound covered in blood. Thinking that the dog had killed his child, he proceeds to kill Guinefort; however, the knight later discovers that the blood was from a venomous snake that lay dead in the corner of the room, his child safe and sound. Filled with regret, the knight placed the dog's body in a well, covered it in stone, and planted trees around it. The dog's martyrdom began the veneration of the slain greyhound as a local saint.

Louvre Museum, [Paris](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/paris/).

## Cite This Work

### APA
Chaudet, J. É. (2025, September 25). The Dog, the Baby, and the Viper. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21042/the-dog-the-baby-and-the-viper/>
### Chicago
Chaudet, Jeanne Élisabeth. "The Dog, the Baby, and the Viper." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 25, 2025. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21042/the-dog-the-baby-and-the-viper/>.
### MLA
Chaudet, Jeanne Élisabeth. "The Dog, the Baby, and the Viper." *World History Encyclopedia*, 25 Sep 2025, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21042/the-dog-the-baby-and-the-viper/>.

## License & Copyright

© [Musée du Louvre](http://www.louvre.fr/en) or [RMN](http://rmn.fr/) (see original source for details). Non-commercial re-use is authorized, provided the source and author are acknowledged, according to the museum's [Conditions for Use of Images](http://www.louvre.fr/en/conditions-use-images). [Original image](https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010055040) by [**Jeanne Élisabeth Chaudet**](https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010055040). Submitted by [Franco R. Batista Garcia](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/francobatista022/ "User Page: Franco R. Batista Garcia"), published on 25 September 2025. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Copyright](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright). You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.