Have you ever wondered what the history of cat painting is? It’s not as weird a question as it sounds. Cats have been popular subjects for painting and drawing since the Middle Ages, but they were used mostly to show off a painter’s skill. It wasn’t until the 19th century that artists started using cats in more interesting ways.
The Art of Cat Painting is devoted to the history of cat painting, and the paintings themselves. We will be covering more than just fine art here: we’ll talk about cat paintings in pop culture, from Catwoman to Hello Kitty; and cat paintings in advertising and design; and even cat paintings on stamps and postcards. We’ll look at artists who only painted cats (like Kurt Schwitters), and those who only painted dogs (like George Stubbs).
It’s a blog, not a textbook or an art history website, so things won’t always be completely polished or completely serious. If you like cats and art, please come along!
The history of cat painting is a fascinating one, largely because it’s so long. The earliest known paintings of cats date back to ancient Egypt, around 3000 BC. It seems that the Egyptians were fond of both cats and art; some even believe that cats were sacred animals in ancient Egypt, though there is no concrete proof of this.
The Romans took up the art of cat painting in earnest during their occupation of Egypt; this was largely to spite the Egyptians, who had been conquered by them. They also used the Egyptian practice of mummification as a way to embalm their dead cats; this was actually for the purpose of reviving them later!
In Europe, cat painting began in medieval times, when making pictures of real people was frowned upon by the church. Artists were forced to find other ways to express themselves; anything done with mirrors or ink could be considered “art.” Many artists began to focus on creating elaborate cat paintings that often depicted fantastical scenes involving cats and other animals.
Toward the end of the Renaissance period, however, artists once again began focusing on real things – including cats. This coincided with the invention of oil paint, which made it easier for painters to capture details such as fur correctly. Around this time, artists also began
There are two basic schools of cat painting: traditional and modern. Traditionalists show cats in realistic settings. They don’t care if the scene is a little weird, like a cat in a dungeon with a party going on nearby, or the cat is rather oddly proportioned – but you do need to recognize what it’s doing and what it’s thinking about.
Traditional paintings are fun to look at, but they’re hard to get at from a logical standpoint. The reason for this is that everything in them is there for a reason. Even if you can’t see why something is in the picture, there must be some purpose behind it – otherwise, why would the painter have put it there? There’s no room left for your imagination.
And this isn’t just true of traditional paintings; it’s true of any realistic artwork. Suppose you could get inside someone else’s head and watch them paint something. You’d see that whatever choices they made were based on their understanding of how people (or cats) behave, how objects interact with each other, and how light behaves around surfaces. And you’d see that everything was done for a reason – the artist didn’t just randomly go “plap” and smear blue on the canvas.
Modern paintings show cats doing weird
Cat art includes paintings, prints and tapestries of cats, and statues or sculptures of cats. The first paintings of cats were probably made in ancient Egypt. These paintings were usually placed over the entrance to temples and depicted Bastet, the goddess of cats.
Today cat art is quite popular around the world and is especially popular among cat lovers. Artists, who specialize in painting pictures of cats, can make good money selling their artwork to people who want special pieces for their homes or offices. There are also many cat-themed items available for purchase including clothing, mugs, glasses and even clocks. Cat lovers are often interested in collecting different types of cat art such as paintings that show a single cat or multiple cats together. Many artists create their own original cat art that shows the personality of each individual artist’s cat. There are also museums with collections of famous cat art pieces and some people have their own personal collections that they curate themselves.”
The cat has held a special place in art for centuries. There are thousands of paintings, drawings and sculptures of cats from all over the world, going back to the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians were among the first people to domesticate cats, and they also worshipped them as gods.
The paintings depicted cats doing everyday activities like hunting and playing, just like today. Cats were shown being carried around in baskets.
The Greeks also painted cats, but they often depicted them with specific personalities. The Egyptians were more interested in painting animals accurately than depicting its personality.
In medieval times, European painters began to paint cats more like we do now. They started to make paintings of cats doing human activities like reading or writing poetry. This was the beginning of anthropomorphism–making animals look like humans–which is still popular today.
The painter Henri Rousseau, who dedicated his life to the depiction of jungle scenes populated by mischievous or simply otherworldly creatures, was a source of inspiration for illustrators and filmmakers alike. He was a pioneer in the creation of imaginary worlds inspired by nature – a trend which is still very much alive today.
The jungle scenes he painted are filled with lush greenery, strange animals and peculiar creatures, which seem to be as much at home in the trees as on the ground. Through his work he was able to create an imaginary world that has left a lasting impression on artists and film directors alike.
