But it's not of the romantic variety.

It's of the simple, uncomplicated and unconditional love that exists between humans and their pets.

The much-anticipated Popular Pet Show is all set to open at the gallery, featuring more than 160 portraits of both famous and obscure Australians and their pets, by 15 contemporary artists.

From Ken Done and his beloved dog Spotty, to painter Lucy Culliton's self-portrait with two proud cockerels, and many more cats, birds, rabbits and horses in between, the show is a celebration of the love and joy we get from being around animals.

The exhibition, both in scale and subject matter, is one of the gallery's most ambitious and unusual shows to date, and one that curator Sarah Engledow hopes will also be among its most accessible.

She said most people – even those without pets – would understand the appeal of having animals in our lives.

"Our relationship with our companion animals is a great leveller too, it doesn't matter who you are or where you live," she said.

"An animal doesn't care what you look like or how much money you've got or what you do as a job.

"They don't care where they live, as long as they've got enough food and a roof over their head and they're with you."

For Done, the exhibition was a chance to immortalise his last four family dogs – all now departed – alongside his many works featuring Spotty.

He said Spotty – and the ones that came before and after – were integral to his life as an artist.

"As a painter, you spend so much time on your own in the studio, but you're not on your own because the dog's there," he said.

"I used to joke and say that if I did a good painting, the dog barked twice."

For painter Robyn Sweaney, dogs are a ubiquitous feature in the urban landscapes that have long preoccupied her as an artist.

Ten years ago, she created her Walking the Dog series, of people depicted from the mid-torso down – a dog's-eye-view, if you will – out with their canines.

One larger work, Sunday Afternoon, was created especially for the show.

"It's the idea of that Sunday walk – that idea of that conversation and people getting together. They've got their dogs and the dogs are just sitting there waiting," she says.

She said the works also represented the passing of time, as almost all of the dogs she had painted were now dead.

Ms Engledow said the exhibition was poignant on many levels, even though the concept was relatively simple.

"I picked these things because they're so expressive of love and the best qualities of people, and the innocent souls of animals, I suppose," she said.

The Popular Pet Show opens at the National Portrait Gallery on November 4 and runs until March 13. Tickets: $10/$8.

The Canberra Times is also running a photo competition featuring pets this year. For more information, visit canberratimes.com.au.