15 Iconic Cats in Art History: From Louis Wain to Jeff Koons
A DailyArt Magazine feature compiles fifteen notable portrayals of cats in art history, spanning from the 19th century to contemporary works. The list includes Louis Wain's anthropomorphic cats, Franz Marc's colorful felines, and a Japanese print by Hiroshige II. Suzanne Valadon's 'Raminou' and Marc Chagall's 'La Poeté' are also featured, along with Pablo Picasso's 'Cat Catching a Bird' from 1939. The selection includes works by Min Zhen, Henriëtte Ronner-Knip, Bart van der Leck, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Marguerite Gérard, Pierre Bonnard, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Théophile Steinlen, and Jeff Koons. The article highlights the diverse roles cats play in art, from central subjects to subtle details, and notes the artists' personal connections to felines. It also mentions the cultural significance of cats in various art movements, such as Japanese ukiyo-e and the Parisian cabaret Le Chat Noir. The piece concludes with the author's own cat, Pimpa, as a tribute to feline companions.
Key facts
- Louis Wain (born 1860) was an English illustrator known for anthropomorphic cat portrayals and was elected president of the National Cat Club.
- Franz Marc exhibited in Munich in 1911–1912 and used color symbolism: blue for spirituality, yellow for feminine happiness, red for violence.
- Hiroshige II created a fan print of a white bobtail cat biting a blue string, showing close observation of a house cat.
- Suzanne Valadon became the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1894.
- Pablo Picasso created 'Cat Catching a Bird' in 1939, the year of the outbreak of war, and said the subject obsessed him.
- Min Zhen was a Chinese painter and seal carver born in Nanchang, Jiangxi, associated with the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.
- Henriëtte Ronner-Knip built a glass-fronted studio for her cats to observe them for her paintings.
- Bart van der Leck co-founded De Stijl magazine and used primary colors in 'The Cat' after being inspired by Egyptian art in the Louvre.
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted 'Julie Manet also known as Child with Cat' in 1887, commissioned by the Manet family.
- Marguerite Gérard often depicted domestic scenes and used costumes from earlier centuries, with cats as companions.
- Pierre Bonnard's 'The White Cat' shows a cat arching its back with Japanese-inspired composition.
- Utagawa Kuniyoshi's 'Cats Suggested As the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' features 55 cats and is a spoof on Hiroshige's series.
- Le Chat Noir cabaret opened on 18 November 1881 at 84 Boulevard de Rochechouart in Paris and closed in 1897.
- Jeff Koons' 'Cat on a Clothesline' measures 312.4 x 279.4 x 127 cm and is described by the artist as 'like a contemporary crucifixion'.
Entities
Artists
- Louis Wain
- Franz Marc
- Hiroshige II
- Suzanne Valadon
- Marc Chagall
- Pablo Picasso
- Min Zhen
- Henriëtte Ronner-Knip
- Bart van der Leck
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Marguerite Gérard
- Pierre Bonnard
- Utagawa Kuniyoshi
- Théophile Steinlen
- Jeff Koons
- H.G. Wells
- Piet Mondrian
- Berthe Morisot
- Eugène Manet
- Jean-Honoré Fragonard
- Hokusai
- Kuniyoshi
- Rodolphe Salis
- Hieronymus Bosch
Institutions
- National Cat Club
- Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts
- De Stijl
- Louvre
- Le Chat Noir
- DailyArt Magazine
Locations
- Munich
- Germany
- Nanchang
- China
- Jiangxi
- Hubei
- Yangzhou
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Paris
- France
- Montmartre
- 84 Boulevard de Rochechouart