Greenough was America's first important sculptor in marble. Inspired by painter Washington Allston, whose work is displayed nearby, Greenough traveled to Italy to seek professional training. In Rome, he apprenticed with Danish master Bertel Thorwaldsen, among the era's leading Neoclassical sculptors. In 1828 Greenough's Florence studio became a center for traveling American artists, writers, and patrons. Many visitors met Greenough's beloved greyhound Arno, named after the river that runs through Florence. Greenough doubtless captured Arno's actual appearance, but the piece also recalls the realistic sculptures of dogs, popular in ancient Rome.

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