12 cats in paintings by famous artists who depicted pets in their own unique style (13 photos)

Since ancient times, these purring creatures have subjugated the human heart. Today, on all social networks and in every photo album you can find funny and cute photos of your favorite pets.





But even before the creation of such a technique, people tried to capture these independent and affectionate animals with the help of canvas and brush. True, attitudes towards cats have changed at different times. In the Middle Ages, for example, they were not favored at all. Why then did they appear on the canvases and engravings of artists? And how did artists of other eras treat them? You will see all this below.

"White Cat", Mark Franz



“The Child and the Sleeping Cat”, Nikolai Tarkhov

Olympia, Edouard Manet



For 19th-century artists, animals in paintings served as an additional means of expressing emotions, and in Manet’s painting, the black cat (right) emphasizes the dark nature of the seductive woman.

"Cats and Dogs (Broadway)", Andy Warhol



The artist was a passionate cat lover: he kept Siamese cats and called them all Sams. And this painting became the most famous among his “cat works” and was sold for 701 thousand dollars.

"Two Children Playing with a Cat" by Annibale Carracci



"Cat Eating a Bird", Pablo Picasso



Our favorite pets are not only cute...

“Still Life with Fish and Cat”, Clara Peters



It feels like the cat snuck into the fragrant installation, and the artist had to finish painting it. It turned out to be fun!

"Dora Maar with a cat", Pablo Picasso



So you won’t immediately understand where the cat is.

“Scene from the Home Life of the Tsars”, Vyacheslav Schwartz



"My Wife's Lovers" by Karl Kahler



The painting is the largest canvas depicting animals. The cat in the center is called Sultan (of course!), his owner (and the other cats depicted) is Kate Johnson, who also commissioned the painting.

"A Visit to the Spinner" by Israel von Mekenema



Do you think everything is so simple in this engraving? In the Middle Ages, the cat was associated with lower powers, and in this case with lust. It turns out that this picture depicts a rather piquant relationship.

“Merchant's Wife at Tea”, Boris Kustodiev



Two temptresses.