Art is the Solution

Cat's Nightmare Source: Illustration Chronicles Today is National Cat Day! That means we’re going to spend some time celebrating felines through art, and there’s no better artist for that job than Louis Wain. Wain was a true devotee of cats. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a piece of Wain art that didn’t include a cat. Purportedly, Wain began drawing cats to cheer up his ill wife, but it’s clear that cats soon became an obsession for him. Early in his career, Wain typically drew anthropomorphized versions of cats performing human activities. Many of these drawings are really charming and funny; however, his cats became increasingly abstract and surreal after Wain began to suffer from mental health problems. He was eventually confined to a psychiatric hospital, where he spent the last years of his life drawing cats in the garden. Today, some experts believe that Wain suffered from schizophrenia; although, it’s impossible to know for sure. Since Halloween is almost upon us...

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 sp...

Puss in Boots Source: Wikipedia I’m told that today is National Cat Day, so I’d like to celebrate that with a particularly entertaining piece of cat art: Puss in Boots by Gustave Doré. Doré was a French artist who was best known for his illustrations of books and poems. He created this engraving of Puss in Boots to accompany the cat’s story in a book of fairy tales. The illustration depicts the character of Puss in Boots raising the alarm as another character drowns in the background; the original caption for the image read: "Help! The Marquis of Carabas is drowning." Although the engraving clearly displays Doré’s artistic skill (he was an acknowledged master of the woodcut-engraving technique), its true charm comes from Doré’s creative use of detail. The cat is resplendent in a pair of truly extraordinary boots, a necklace of bird’s heads, and a brace of dead mice hanging from his belt. The cat stands on two legs with an animated, almost human expression. Doré’s de...

Apotheosis of Cats Source: WikiArt For better or for worse, cats have always been associated with witchcraft and mystery. Personally, I think this is a bit unfair; although they’re magnificent animals, there is nothing supernatural about ordinary, domestic cats. Yet, French artist Théophile Alexandre Steinlen is able to inject some magic into the image of the cat. Steinlen, who is famous for designing Parisian posters and advertisements, was also an ardent lover of cats. He produced many drawings and paintings of cats throughout his career, all in his Art Nouveau style. That being said, the Apotheosis of Cats is probably one of his more inventive pieces. The painting depicts a sea of cats spilling out like an ocean across the streets and rooftops of a cityscape which might represent Paris. The cats—which can be found in all shapes, sizes, and colors—swarm toward a massive cat in the distance, which is silhouetted against a gigantic yellow moon. The exact significance of this strange a...

Raminou Sitting on a Cloth Source: Pinterest Much to my delight, there are many painters who celebrate the beauty and grace of cats. One such painter was Suzanne Valadon. Valadon began her career as an acrobat in a Parisian circus. There, she met several artists whom she began to model for after a fall from the trapeze ended her career in the circus. While working as a model, Valadon learned how to paint and eventually began her own career as an artist. Although Valadon is well known today for her honest and realistic portraits of women, she also spent quite a bit of time painting cats. It’s clear that Valadon had an affinity for cats. They appear in many of her canvases, either as the main subject or as an auxiliary. One of Valadon’s favorite subjects was her cat, Raminou. She painted him several times, but I think Raminou Sitting on a Cloth is the most beautiful portrayal of this feline. The piece depicts Raminou, a large orange tabby, sitting on a carefully draped piece of cloth wi...

The Cover of 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy Source: The Cut  If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I love cats. I have three of them in my house at the moment, and I would gladly have more if it was feasible. However, there is one artist who puts my love of cats to shame: Andy Warhol. Most people can recognize Warhol’s work by sight, even if they don’t know his name. Born in Pittsburgh, Warhol is now known for his portraits of Marilyn Monroe and his paintings of Campbell’s soup cans. Personally I’m not a huge fan of pop art—the style that Warhol is known for—however, I can certainly acknowledge that Warhol was a great painter of cats. Although he painted and drew cats throughout his career, his best-known cat art comes in the form of a book of lithographs that he published in 1954. The book was entitled 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy , although it only actually depicts sixteen cats. The title of the cats refers to the twenty-five cats that l...

A Siamese Cat Stalking A Butterfly Amongst Bluebells Source: Artnet I’m told that today is National Cat DNA Day. I’m not quite sure why that needs to be a “national day,” but there seems to be a national day for everything these days, so why not? Apparently, September 19 was selected as National Cat DNA day because cats have 19 pairs of chromosomes and, of course, they have nine lives. So, in honor of National Cat DNA Day, I want to share a rather sweet drawing of a cat with you. A Siamese Cat Stalking A Butterfly Amongst Bluebells is one of many drawings and paintings of cats produced by English artist Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe. Few would identify Tunnicliffe as one of the major artists of the twentieth century, but he had an almost unparalleled talent for depicting animals (especially birds) in their natural habitats. Although he is famous for his birds, Tunnicliffe clearly had great affection for cats, and he produced many drawings and paintings of them engaged in everyday acti...

The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat Source: Wikimedia Commons Today, I want to do something fun and share a painting called The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat with you. The piece was executed by English painter John Reinhard Weguelin, who can be best identified as Neoclassical painter, although there are hints of Rococo and Romanticism in his work if you ask me. Today, Weguelin is known as a painter of scenes of classical antiquity and mythology, particularly of a Greco-Roman variety. The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat fits into the former category. It depicts an Egyptian priestess performing funerary rites for a mummified cat. Many people know that the ancient Egyptians considered cats to be sacred animals (really, can you blame them?). The cat was a symbol of protection in ancient Egypt, and all cats—even house cats—were sacred to the goddess Bastet, who was associated with fertility. Because of their religious and symbolic significance, cats were treated with respect and care in li...

Winter, Cat on a Cushion Source: Museum of Modern Art Although French artist Théophile-Alexandre Steinle is best known for his poster illustrations, I prefer to think of him as a great painter of cats (and trust me, that’s a category of artist that the world needs more of). Throughout his career, Steinlen drew and painted hundreds of cats in many different styles and mediums; however, his most famous cat painting is probably Winter, Cat on a Cushion , which depicts a brown and black tabby sprawled across a red cushion.  While the graceful form of the cat is clearly recognizable, the cat itself is heavily heavily stylized, with Steinlen emphasizing the classic angularity of feline features. The cat’s yellow eyes draw the viewer’s gaze with their mesmerizing intensity, while its tufted ears add a charming touch. The warm, rich tones of the painting bring a touch of coziness to an ostensibly cold, winter day. Stylistically, the piece also references Eastern visual conventions, a...

Simpatía (La Rabia del Gato) Source: Christie’s Art including cats is my favorite kind of art, so today I want to show you an extraordinary painting entitled Simpatía ( La Rabia del Gato ), which translates to The Madness of the Cat . The painting is one of the great masterpieces of Remedios Varo, a Spanish-Mexican artist who was one of the leaders of the Mexican Surrealist movement. Varo is well-known for her strange, otherworldly paintings, populated by a world of mysterious figures engaged in bizarre, ritualistic acts. La Rabia del Gato is a fine example of her style. The piece depicts an orange figure with flamelike hair in a grey robe; the figure caresses an orange cat, who seems to levitate above the table. The cat has seemingly knocked over a glass of water, which has turned into a tiny ocean on the floor. A network of sparkling, golden dots glimmers above them, connected by shining filaments. This constellation-like design represents the loving energy that passes betwe...

Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges Source: Pinterest French artist Henri Matisse is rather famous for his paintings of goldfish. In fact, one of his most famous paintings, entitled Goldfish , depicts several of the aforementioned fish swimming in a bowl. Matisse is one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. His work is closely associated with the Fauvist movement and is generally characterized by great energy and rich, intense colors. Based on my research , Matisse began painting goldfish after he traveled to North Africa. In Morocco, Matisse observed locals watching goldfish swim in their bowls as they sunk into a meditative state. The fish subsequently became a symbol for this sense of tranquility, coming to represent an idyllic version of the world only accessible through joyous day-dreams. These calming fish are prominent in this painting, which is entitled Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges (which translates to The Cat With Red Fishes ). However, the serene energy of the f...

Julie Manet with Cat Source: Musée d'Orsay In keeping with my continuous efforts to celebrate cats in art, today I am going to be chatting about a rather adorable painting: Portrait of Julie Manet with Cat . The painting depicts Julie Manet—the niece of the famed French painter Édouard Manet and the daughter of the great impressionist painter Berthe Morisot—at age nine. Morisot and her husband Eugène Manet commissioned their good friend Pierre-Auguste Renoir, one of the greatest and most famous painters of the impressionist movement, to paint their daughter Julie. Here, Renoir depicts Julie in a white dress with a smiling cat on her lap. According to the Musée d'Orsay, the painting is a good example of Renoir's "Ingresque" period (that is, similar to the art of the French Neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres). Julie’s smooth, placid expression and round face invites the comparison to Ingres’ doll-like portraits of women. Renoir’s painting of Juli...

Portrait of Pepper Artist Credit: Yelida Hierro Many works of art created throughout history are the result of commissions; basically, a patron paid the artist to create a piece of art to their specifications. That system has largely fallen by the wayside, as artists working in the modern age have increasingly understood art to be an expressive work reflecting their individual thoughts and feelings. However, art is still a business and a livelihood, and there are still many artists who are willing to create custom pieces of art for their customers. I recently had the privilege to commission such a piece of art. I ordered a pen and ink portrait of my cat Pepper from an artist named Yelida Hierro on Etsy . The final result was great; the artist captured the likeness of my cat perfectly and managed to convey her feisty personality, even in a pen and ink drawing. But, to me, the most interesting part of the process was actually commissioning the drawing. Although I think a lot about ar...

A few weeks ago I was doing some research one the Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, and, as I browsed, I kept coming upon images of cats by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen. Steinlen was a French, Art Nouveau artist who is best known for his work on posters, advertisements, and illustrations. Tournée du Chat Noir Source: Wikimedia Commons I wasn’t very familiar with Steinlen’s work, but, after reviewing his catalog, I realized he was fascinated with cats from an artistic perspective. In fact, he is probably most famous for his advertisement for Le Chat Noir, a Parisian nightclub that was frequented by artists and other members of the bohemian movement. This poster— which, as you can imagine, features an image of a black cat— is now iconic and is commonly sold as a decorative print. Aside from that particular poster, Steinlen produced many drawings, paintings, and advertisements featuring cats. He even published a book of cat illustrations, which was entitled Dessins Sans Paroles ...

Sita and Sarita Source: National Gallery of Art Sita and Sarita is perhaps one of the most interesting portraits in the history of American art. The painting depicts Cecilia Beaux’s (the artist) cousin, Sarah Allibone Leavitt (the Sarita in the title) with a black cat on her shoulder. However, Modern day viewers have likened it to a witch with her familiar or have suggested that the painting has sexual undertones. Some have even compared it to Édouard Manet’s famous painting of a courtesan, Olympia, arguing that Beaux used Sita and Sarita to reclaim her gender from the facile portraits of women executed by men. Odd as it may sound, the controversy actually seems to be a credit to Beaux’s work, an unintentional homage to her vibrant and expressive portraiture style. Beaux—who is famous for her portraits of America’s wealthiest and most elite families—is known for her subtle and nuanced depictions of women. Her work has been favorably compared to that of contemporary artists Mary...

Barbershop with Monkeys and Cats Source: Kunsthistorisches Museum In honor of April fools day, I want to talk about a particularly silly, humorous painting: Dutch painter Abraham Teniers’ Barbershop with Monkeys and Cats . This painting is undeniably whimsical. It depicts monkeys waiting on cats in a seventeenth century barbershop. Throughout the history of Europe, it was common for barbers to act as dentists and sometimes even surgeons in addition to cutting hair. Here, we see cats having their whiskers trimmed and injuries tended in comically complete detail. The painting is a highly accurate depiction of everyday life (notwithstanding the lack of people); the barber’s implements are depicted in meticulous detail and the poses of the cats and monkeys are remarkably human. This sort of piece (one that depicts everyday life) is known as a genre painting. These paintings gained popularity in the early modern period, correlating with the rise of the middle class in Europe. As me...

Birding Source: Pintrest I don’t agree with having outdoor cats, but I do find this painting to be very charming.  This whimsical painting, entitled Birding , depicts cats—in virtually every possible position (and there are a lot of positions possible for cats)—hunting birds. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. The painting is consciously fanciful; in a nutshell, it’s fun! The artist, Jamie Wyeth is a member of the famous Wyeth family, and is the son and grandson respectively of celebrated painters Andrew Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth. Although he’s probably not as well known as his relatives, he’s certainly a famous and talented painter in his own right. Wyeth has a flair for painting animals (in fact, one of his most famous paintings is entitled Portrait of Pig ), and that is certainly apparent in Birding . Here, Wyeth uses loose brushstrokes and a painterly style to convey the motion and energy of the cats. Although the scene itself is unrealistic, he succeeds in capturing t...

Cat Catching a Bird Source: pablopicasso.org For years, I’ve thought of myself as a person who doesn’t really like Pablo Picasso’s art. It’s not that I don’t acknowledge his talent and the way he’s changed the artistic landscape; I just always thought that his work didn’t speak to me. Anyway, I thought that until one day I woke up and realized that the walls of my house were dotted with Picasso prints that I purchased. It turns out that I like Picasso after all, imagine my surprise! My appreciation for Picasso’s art snuck up on me, but I’m fairly certain I will never have a print of Cat Catching a Bird hanging in my house. This painting—which is the subject of today’s post—is unapologetically gritty. Here Picasso depicts a cat in the act of tearing a bird into bloody pieces. Although I personally consider cats to be lovable, cuddly animals, Picasso’s painting captures the wild side of the animal, personifying the wild and brutal hunter that lurks behind the house pet. ...

Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga Source: MET Museum Today, I want to take a minute to chat about one of the paintings that was mentioned in the documentary I mentioned yesterday: Metropolitan Cats . The painting, Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga , is one of the treasures of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET). The painting depicts a young boy, the son of the Count and Countess of Altamira. He is pictured with three cats and several birds, some latched in a cage and one on a tether that the child holds. Metropolitan Cats interprets the painting as a commentary on captivity. The caged and tethered birds reflect the child’s lack of freedom, while the cats represent the threats he faces in his life. Alternatively, viewers can interpret the cats as a symbol of the child’s future aristocratic power, while the birds can be seen as potential victims of his tyranny. It’s worthwhile to note that Goya, a staunch supporter of the Enlightenment, was chronically skeptical of authority ...

The Favorite Cat Source: The MET The MET (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) recently posted a documentary called Metropolitan Cats on their YouTube channel . As the title suggests, the video celebrates the cats within the MET’s collection, from ancient sculptures to modern paintings. I was immediately drawn to the video because—as many people know—I adore cats (I have one myself, and I would love someone to paint a picture of her). I watched the documentary and found it to be both interesting and entertaining. Metropolitan Cats documents the relationship between cats and humans as it is represented in art. It argues that cats have functioned as important symbols throughout history and that their feline grace and inscrutability has captured the human imagination. I don’t want to reiterate everything that was said in the documentary; if you want to see it, you can watch it here . However, I wanted to chime in on the significance of cats in art. As Metropolitan Cats points out, c...