Your pet is a work of art

According to the Pet Food Manufacturer's Association, 22% of UK households have a dog and 18% have a cat. 

We are a nation of pet lovers.

So, as Christmas and family time approach, this Byte-size Bulletin is about finding your pet's doppelganger in fine art.

Google's free app for Android and iOS, Arts & Culture, is a great way to explore the art world. The latest feature is Pet Portraits, letting you find the closest fine art representation of your pet. Here's how it works.

1. Download the free app.
2. From the app's Home screen, click on the camera icon at the bottom to activate the photo-interactive elements.
3. Select "Pet Portraits" from the menu at the bottom of the screen.
4. Tap "Take a photo" and the camera will activate.
5. Get your pet to stay still and pose to the best effect, tap "Pet Portraits" again to take a photo.
6. Or you can tap the picture library icon to access an existing photo.
7. Google will assess your image against thousands of other images and present the best matches it can find side-by-side with your original.  Although, of course, your pet is incomparably gorgeous.
8. Scroll through the matches and explore each more fully. The app gives you details of the works of art that most resemble your beloved. 
9. From here you can save or share the resulting images. 

The fun doesn't end there. You can use the app to do all sorts of things:

• Do the same, but this time with a self-portrait. Find out what fine art you most resemble!
• Take a photo of your festive gathering and apply to it an "Art Transfer" so you can all be in the style of the Mona Lisa.
• Explore a museum or gallery from the app.

Have fun!