Humans and cats have a storied history spanning thousands of years, and many of those stories have been captured through the medium of art. The ancient Egyptians, the Medieval times, and even modern day cat people have all be strong drivers of cat based art, and today we are proud to share with you this collection of cats in art throughout history.
Jean-Jacques Bachelier, White Angora Cat, 1761
The painters of yore had some interesting ideas about how to make up for the fact that cats would not stand still for portraits. They used human models to paint human-like faces onto cat bodies, yes that it why this cat that should be looking rather sweetly at a passing butterfly actually looks completely deranged.
Franz Marc, The White Cat, 1912
Maria Pavlova, Black and White
Ah, the judgmental cat. A classic in cat culture, which of course makes it a great subject for some cat art. This looks very much like a scene that some of you might be familiar with after a long day working at the office. You come home, and your cat is sitting in your favorite chair, staring daggers at you from across the room for being out of the house all day.
Théophile Steinlen, La tournée du Chat Noir, 1896
A classic piece of French advertising history, this poster was for the very first Cabaret club. Based in Montmartre, Paris, patrons were able to unwind after a long day of work with a cold beverage and a variety show that went on to great critical acclaim.
Ralph Crane, Black Cat Auditions in Hollywood, 1961
Art is not only about brush strokes and pencil smudges, it also includes photography. And this early cat photos from the 50s is one that is brimming with style and poise. Very much reflecting the status quo of the day and the progression of feline kind from rodent catchers to household pet.
Ralph Crane, Even More Black Cat Auditions in Hollywood, 1961
It is rather amazing how much a shot of a small kitten sitting on the floor, surrounded by a group of people, can tell you about a specific moment in time. You can tell that this is a meeting of women, that it happened in the 50s or 60s, that there was a young girl amongst them. But above all else, you can see that the cat has no interest in them and is potentially stalking an insect in the nearby grass.
Louis Wain, The Bachelor’s Party, 1939
Annibale Carracci, Two Children Teasing a Cat, 1588
It is hard to say whether these rich folks of the Medieval times were being cruel or kind in this painting. But what can be said is that looks like one very unhappy cat, at that, how in the heck did a scorpion get its pincers on a cat’s ear?
Flower Feline
The digital age has allowed us to create literally anything that our minds can imagine, and the artist who came up with this gem of a cute cat has certainly got quite the vivid imagination. Not that this should give you any ideas about dying your cat’s fur.
Jeff Koons, Cat on a Clothesline
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Child with Cat (Julie Manet), 1887
Isn’t it satisfying to be able to look at a painting of this age and feel comforted by the fact that humans and cats have been firm friends for such a long time? That the satisfaction on the face of both of these sweethearts is just as present today as it was all those hundreds of years ago?
Sophie Sperlich, “Cats in the Basket”
It is rather amusing seeing a kitten portrait like this, considering how similar it is to the multitude of cute cat photos you can find on the internet. If this was in digital form, it would not look out of place on the pages of Reddit. Yet another wonderful example of the consistency of our relationship with cats through the ages.
Edouard Manet, A Cat Curled Up, Sleeping, 1861
While this might not be the most refined piece of cat art we have come across, the way in which the artist has captured the position of this cute cat’s body is just sublime. Something about the erratic lines that converge just makes the snuggly position look even snugglier.
Gustave Courbet, The Painter’s Studio, 1855
While this is not strictly cat art, it is an example of how many paintings of the Medieval period had cats in them. It is thought that this was done to reflect their integral role in society of dealing with vermin. Vermin were a serious problem back in those days as they carried tons of diseases and could easily infect humans, so cats were our best options and friends when it came to keeping our homes free from rodents.
Cat Couple
We have to assume that this cute cat couple is a reflection of the artist and their partner. Mainly because of the friendly vibe you get from both of them, it is simply not cat-like body language, they are not that friendly to random people.
Cornelis Visscher, The Large Cat, 1657
Much like a human nightwatchman, cats have the tendency to fall asleep on the job too. At least that was back when they had jobs in human society as rat and mouse catchers. As you can see by the determined mouse hanging out behind the sleeping guard cat.
Felix Valloton, Laziness, 1896
Oh, this is a nice surprise, it is not often that you get to see abstract expressions of feline art, but here is a fine one indeed. A woman and her cat, mimicking one of da Vinci’s most famous works, seemingly represents the bond between the woman and her cat as well as the character of each of the individuals as depicted by the long flowing lines of the woman and the straighter tighter lines of the cat.
Engraving of a Cat, Egypt circa 1350 BCE
Prince Thutmose of the royal house, the eldest son of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye, mummified his beloved cat and buried it in an engraved sarcophagus.
Takahashi Hiroaki, Black Cat and Tomato Plant, 1931
Japanese art has such a powerful way of capturing intent and expression. You can see the palpable hunger in the cat’s eyes as it goes after something. Yet there is also balance to the intensity of the cat in the simple tomato plant standing next to the cat, bringing an air of calm to the painting too.
A Parisian Feline
To see the world through the eyes of a cat, this is what we get from this perfectly penned piece of art. The larger than life world outside and the wonder in the cat’s eyes is enough to make you feel the rush of excitement that cat is feeling as it looks out into a world it can hardly comprehend.
Suzanne Valadon, Raminou, 1920
Cedric the Green Eyed Heartthrob
This is a wonderful depiction of the moment before a cat realizes that it is stuck in the tree. We like to call it the “Yeah, I’m in a tree, so I can be far away from you human” phase. It does not last long and within a few moments it becomes very apparent to the cat that there is no good way down.
Cat Above the City
Somehow combining the colors and brushstrokes of Van Gogh’s “A Starry Night” with classic French visuals and context, this piece is a true work of art. The craft that went into creating this delightful watercolor creation is simply stunning.
Council of Kittens
Let us tell you that we are all very lucky that cat shelters do not have the budget to get portraits painted of each one of their cats, because the looks in the eyes of these kittens just screams please take me home, I’ll love you forever. And there is no way we would be able to say no.
Satisfying Sleep
Cats, being the tough cookies they are, can be insanely difficult to please. But when you do get to see that sweet satisfied look on their faces, you know you have done well and can rest easy knowing that your fur baby is content.
Mess With My Yarn Just One More Time
Oh, you had better know not to get between a cat and their ball of yarn, and if you did not know, then let this scathing feline facial expression be your lesson. You will likely not get another chance to learn this lesson, so learn it well while appreciating how fluffy that fur looks!
Feline Lovers Looking Out On the Moon
Love transcends all species, genders and any other kind of constructs you can think of. And when you see it in front of you, it somehow bends time and space, making moments feel timeless, making landscapes look familiar and foreign at the same time. Love will do funny things to a person.
Peeking Around the Corner
Thankfully, this is not an example of curiosity doing anything of malice to a cat, but simply a curious cat cutely peeking its head from behind a door. If only cats could be this cute and soft natured in real life.
Happy Little Chappy
Many a feline parent has spent a good few hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon wondering what thoughts are going through their cute cat child’s head as they sleep. It is of deep and great wonder as their dreams can be quite active, maybe they are chasing mice, maybe giant mice are chasing them. Who knows?
Sweet Dreams
Safety and warmth, two of the most important things that any young creature needs to survive in this world. And it cannot be depicted in a cuter way that we with a cute kitten curled up next to its mother, enjoying a sweet nap.
