Cat's in the History of Art

No animal captivated the audience like the humble house cat in the age of the internet. Cats whether captured in a playful ceramic artwork like cats wall decor ceramic artwork or immortalized by a strange video, these portraits have proved the modern prowess of the animal today. Cat pictures popularity did not begin with social media. Indeed, images have been an artistic staple since time immemorial.

Cats have stolen the show for centuries from ancient paintings to more modern graphic design. Here we explore the role of the cat in art history, paying special attention to the genres and movements that seem to favor feline subjects in particular.

A great book on cat illustrations is a history of art in 21 cats makes a great read. I highly recommend this book. The cats depict artist key themes and styles you will not forget.

Contemporary Cat Art

Given the popularity of our feline friends, it is not surprising that the best artists of today often choose to include cats in their work.

Cat's in the History of Art

Image courtesy of CeramicWallDecor.com. Where feline owners are fanatics and love cat décor of any kind. These depictions are diverse and eclectic, just like the contemporary art movement itself. These perfect portraits, covering all kinds of materials, mediums and styles, prove that the cat iconography is here.

Feline Oriental Paintings

Admired for their lion's stalking skills, domesticated cats have for thousands of years been kept as animals in China. In most Chinese art, cats typically do the best: hunt small animals, explore their surroundings or curl up for a cat nap.

Due to the slender silhouettes and the rounded contours of their bodies, Chinese painters and calligraphers continue to favor them.

Egyptian Art And Cats

No group has depicted felines as favorably as the ancient Egyptians during the course of art history. Egyptians saw the animals as sacred, depicting gods and goddesses in their likeness and regularly incorporating them into their relief carvings, papyrus paintings and, most notably, tomb decoration, in awe of the cat's compassion, poise and of course it’s hunting skills.

Drawings and engravings of powerful cats were often shown on ancient Egyptian sarcophagi and the surrounding walls. In addition to adorning tombs that contain remains of human beings, these depictions can also be found in the burial sites of felines. Pet cats were mourned, mummified and buried as family members, so that they could also enter the afterlife.

Louis Wain - Schizophrenic Cat Artist

Cat Artist (1961)