Absolutely the Best Paintings of Cats

Cats occupy a very unique place in the story of art. For some reason or another, felines have been a source of inspiration for artists from all ages of history and from all corners of the world. However, not all pieces of cat art are created equal. Simply put, some pieces of art capture the spirit of the cat better than others. 

Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite paintings of cats: pieces of art that—in my opinion— capture the various attitudes and personalities of the elegant and mysterious cat. 

Cat, 1976 by Andy Warhol - Andy Warhol was a cat person. This is a fact that endears him to me tremendously. Throughout his career, he painted, drew, and photographed many cats. However, I think this particular piece is the perfect image of a modern cat. Here, we see a sleek Siamese cat with an angular face gazing off into the distance. Perhaps he is looking forward to the technological and scientific advances of the twentieth century, but it’s more likely that he’s watching a spider crawl across the wall. Regardless, it is an elegant and sophisticated portrait of a feline. Cats often have the reputation of being serious, fastidious, discerning, and—of course—elegant, and this cat exemplifies this stereotype. This is a cat of the world, a suave and cultured cat.

Cat, 1976
Source: The Great Cat

Three Cats by Gertrude Abercrombie - Gertrude Abercrombie was truly an artist of the jazz age (in fact, she was known as the Queen of the Bohemian Artists). Aside from jazz music, her art was inspired by the Surrealist movement, tinged with her own particular brand of magic and mystery. According to my research, Abercrombie liked painting simple things in uncommon or strange ways. This element of her work can be seen in her painting Three Cats. As the title suggests, here we see three cats in a row gazing out at the viewer. Each cat is furnished with a saucer of milk and a cloud that floats over their head. True to feline form, these are mysterious cats indeed. Their motives and thoughts are completely opaque to the viewer. If you’ve ever seen a cat gazing inscrutably at you, you can probably imagine the feeling that these cats produce. It is unsettling—and also fascinating—to feel their eyes on you and not know what they are thinking. These particular cats seem to be imbued with an element of magic. Their symmetry (should we call it fearful symmetry?) and sameness make the cats uncanny and mysterious. In true cat fashion, it is impossible to imagine what sort of mission impels these inscrutable cats. However, I have the impression that they have big plans. 

Three Cats
Source: Artnet

The Cat’s Lunch by Marguerite Gérard - This cat is an autocrat. In this painting, we see a young girl kneeling on the floor as she serves a cat a dish of milk.  Perched upon a red satin cushion with humans and dogs kneeling beneath him, it is clear that he is the little, furry tyrant of the house. I think we’ve all met cats like this: stolid house cats or grizzled old toms that demand obedience and submission while confidently believing that everything in the world revolves around them. Simply put, this cat is a MOOD. This feline masterpiece was executed by the French painter Marguerite Gérard. Gérard learned her craft from her brother-in-law, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, the famous Rococo painter who remains one of the most famous French painters of the eighteenth centuries. Although Gérard was far less famous, she was certainly a successful painter and print-maker in her own right. Gérard is particularly well-known for her paintings of domestic life, which often included cats. However, the subject of The Cat’s Lunch has much more personality than any of the other cats Gérard painted. He is a confident cat, a cat that is assured of his place in the world. I imagine that this is a cat with a real sense of joie de vivre.

The Cat's Lunch
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Winter, Cat on a Cushion by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen - Of all the cats in art, this one might be my favorite. To me, this cat is real enough to step out of the frame and rub against my leg. There is something wonderfully authentic about this cat, which is hardly surprising when you consider that Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen was one of the greatest painters of cats to ever live. In fact, it might be fair to say that he devoted his life to painting cats. All the same, Winter, Cat on a Cushion is an unprecedented and unparalleled artistic triumph. Here, we see a golden-eyed tabby reclining on a red cushion. The cat studies the world with the pensive expression that is common to cats everywhere. If there is such a thing as an everyman, this is an everycat: the quintessential feline. In fact, I’ve seen my own tabby cat sleep in almost the same position on a nearly daily basis. In my opinion, this cat is representative of the universal cat experience. It captures something very basic and fundamental about what it means to be a cat. (Plus, on an aesthetic level, the little wisps of ear fur are great.)

Winter, Cat on a Cushion

Source: Museum of Modern Art

The Favorite Cat by Nathaniel Currier - I think the title of this print says it all. This cat is the favorite, and he knows it. Here, we see a magnificent grey tabby staring out at the world. He is wonderfully plump, and it’s clear that he has a lot of personality. His long, luxurious whiskers and wide yellow eyes signify confidence and a profound level of contentment and satisfaction with the world. Like Gérard’s cat, this tom is happy with his place in the world and gazes upon the whole world as if it was his kingdom. If we could all be as confident and happy as this cat, the world would be a better place. 

The Favorite Cat

Source: The MET