The Truth About Cats and Artists

Every “Caturday,” the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art Facebook page highlights a cat in an archival object in their collections. The array of their examples is vast, showcasing how artists have found inspiration and solace in their feline companions over the course of history. What is it about our feline friends that has captured the fascination of humans? This obsession with adoring the cat is still present in a myriad of ways: Facebook and the meme being two prime examples, not to mention the thousands of hours of cat videos on YouTube. Some have even argued that cats themselves are art: Leonardo Da Vinci proposedly said that “the smallest feline is a masterpiece.” ¹ Yet the history of the cat and how they have become immortalised in art is a fairly complex progression. Like many animals there is a history of strong symbolic association with the cat that has moved from the worship of cat-headed gods to the killing of cats as witches’ familiars. They are recorded in many forms in different early cultures, used for social commentary, and made themselves at home in the artist’s studio. Much of the fascination of artists can be aligned in two forms: the historical and symbolic role of the cat, and the domesticated role of the cat.

The origins of the importance of cats

The progression of the domestication of the cat is fairly straight forward and is tied strongly to the move to an agricultural society. Ancestors of the modern cat can be traced back 10 million years, but they were wild. Unlike the dog that was actively domesticated as a hunting tool, the cat was domesticated in a more gradual process around their usefulness for hunting the mice and birds that were attracted to crops. Ancient Egypt was primarily an agrarian society and had a distinct problem with vermin. It is believed that the ancient Egyptians learned to leave out food to tempt cats to hunt within their particular fields and storage buildings, while also eventually providing them with shelter to protect them from larger predators. ² Cats were known to be part of Egyptian households by 1600 B.C.E. ³ and are often depicted as such or in the form of hunters in amongst the crops. It is believed that the ancestors of the modern cat were domesticated in Egypt from the Nubian Felis sylvestris lybica, popularly known as the sand cat. ⁴

In a similar manner cats were protected in many areas of Asia for their use as vermin hunters. Cats have appeared in Chinese art for thousands of years. Domesticated for the same reason, as an important part of pest control. They were also favoured subjects for their distinct silhouette and rounded contours. ⁹ The Romans also celebrated the cat’s hunting skills, with the inclusion of a wild cat ensnaring a partridge in the famous Pompeian Casa del Fauno mosaic circa 2 B.C.E. ¹⁰ The importance of the cat as a hunter has remained a strong reason for the inclusion of the cat in art. As with most civilisations there is a desire to capture and represent moments of everyday life as well as their mythologies. It is clear in many cultures that the domestication of the cat is tied very closely to the agricultural changes of human society throughout the world. Many societies have honoured the cat as a mighty and useful hunter. In fact, the State Hermitage Museum in Russia’s Saint Petersburg (one of the most famous art museums of the world) “employs” over 70 cats. ¹¹ The story proceeds that in 1795 the halls were infested with rats so the empress signed a decree sending Chazan cats, considered the best ratters, to the palace. The cats were granted status as official rat catchers and became favoured Russian pets. ¹²

Mythological felines

Many cultures have included cats into their pantheon of gods, goddesses and mythology. The most well-known of course is Egypt with the goddess Bast/Bastet (the daughter of the sun god Re). ¹³ There are numerous drawings and engravings on sarcophagi and the walls surrounding them that depict powerful cats, or cat-headed goddesses. There are also adorning tombs for feline burial sites showing that the cat was elevated above the level of other creatures and in their passing were mourned, mummified and buried so that they too could pass into the afterlife. ¹⁴

While many other animals were representatives of the gods, there is evidence that cats held the position of demi-god. It was believed that as such no cat could be owned except by a pharaoh, and therefore harming a cat was treason. ¹⁵ At the height of the popularity of the cat-headed goddess Bast killing a cat, even accidentally, was punishable by death. All dead cats were offered to Bast to live eternally by her side. ¹⁶ As messenger and servant of the goddess Bast, cats were often captured in art. One famous example of this can be seen at the British Museum in the form of a bronze cast cat statue adorned in jewellery. ¹⁷ The most famous story related to cats and their associated goddess concerns the importance of cats around the Egyptian home in defending humans by killing poisonous snakes. One myth depicts how Bast beheaded Apophis who was the underworld god and depicted as snake headed, thus symbolising how light triumphs over darkness, life over death. ¹⁸ Cats were called Mau derived from the sound of their cry and began to become associated with other mythologies. Even being seen as a symbol of the moon due to their nocturnal habits, and were considered the antithesis to the snake, a symbol of darkness and death. ¹⁹

In the Islamic world cats were believed to be loved by Mohammed, the founder of Islam. One story exists of Mohammed’s cat Muezza who fell asleep on the sleeve of Mohammed’s robe. Mohammed, rather than disturbing his beloved cat, cut off the sleeve of his robe when he needed to leave. ²⁰ A more definitive myth belongs to the Norse culture. In Norse mythology the wagon of Freyja, wife of Odin, was pulled by cats. A fact recorded in some of the earliest writings, where in Prose Edda it is mentioned that “when she travels, she drives two cats and sits in a chariot.” ²¹ They were apparently given to her by Thor and were said to be either blue or grey, and though large were still small cats. Like Bast, she was a goddess of hunting as well as love, and it is interesting the similar choice of cat as a sacred animal. ²² In Finnish mythology cats played a different role. They were believed to lead the souls of the dead on the dangerous journey through the underworld. ²³

Moving further to the East and Asian culture: apparently the orient cat is the fourth sign of the Vietnamese zodiac (a number of myths surround why cat was not present in the Chinese zodiac, of which historians have offered that the cat was not yet introduced from India when the zodiac was developed) ²⁴, and the word for cat, which is Mao, is phonetically identical for the word meaning octogenarian, thus cats have been associated with longevity. ²⁵ However, white cats are considered being capable of becoming mischievous spirits, while dead cats can turn into demons. ²⁶ In Japanese mythology the dead cat spirit is considered very dangerous as it can transform into human form, usually into the bodies of women that they kill by assuming their form. ²⁷ While in India the cat is believed to be the vehicle for the sage Vidali and aesthetic cats depict the beauty of the animal kingdom. However, in Buddhist culture there are negative connotations, as like snakes, they serve to symbolism sin and ignorance as it is believed that neither mourned the death of the Buddha. ²⁸ With such associations to the hunt, to love, to the afterlife it is unexpected that artists have desired to capture cats in their work.

Evil by association

Whereas the role of cats in agrarian society and their depiction in ancient mythologies were positive, the cat in the medieval period was definitively negative thanks to superstition. Part of this could be attributed to the strong Christian messages of the period that actively worked to undermine ancient cultures, but part is also built off the previous associations with the afterlife. In cultures where women were linked strongly to superstitions it is found that they were often associated then with cats. The black cat as a symbol of heresy and paganism was present, with some early depictions of the Last Supper showing a cat curled at the feet of Judas. ²⁹

Some of it was more subtle, for instance Saint Agatha was the patron of lawyers and was depicted with a cat, but the cat acted to symbolise the evil qualities of lawyers. ³⁰ A more extreme version of this is in a famous case from the 16th century of the trial of Elizabeth Francis, Agnes Waterhouse and her daughter Joan at Chelmsford Essex. In 1566 Elizabeth and her spotted cat Sathan were accused of causing the death of Andrew Byles who had made Elizabeth pregnant but refused marriage. Sathan apparently was given to Anges who changed it into a toad and caused the death of numerous farm animals also. Both women were hanged for their crimes and the cat killed. ³¹

In the 16th century cats became associated negatively with magic, making them demonstrative of the presence of evil. The word chatoyer was coined in France to mean ‘to shine like a cat’s eye’ and their reflective eyes were considered to glow with the fires of hell. ³² By the 17th century witches were believed to turn into cats, ride cats and to suckle kittens. ³³ At this time the association between concepts of sexuality and promiscuity began to be linked to cats. ³⁴ Furthermore the cat in Christian art began to be included to symbolise laziness and lust. ³⁵ Such beliefs were recorded as part of folklore and fairy tale. One such was captured by the Brothers Grimm and described a shape-shifting witch who turns virgins into birds and cages them. A story that illustrator Arthur Rackham captured by expressing the malevolence of the hunting cat. ³⁶

Interestingly, the sweeping deaths of the Bubonic Plague due to the rise in vermin in cities and towns could be considered linked to the increasing alienation and killing of cats. ³⁷

Thankfully the Renaissance dispelled ridiculous medieval superstitions, even going as far as to align cats with scholars. In an early theory of the four humors of the body the cat was even associated with the humor that related to unpredictability and saturnine, which many artists identified with. ³⁸

Although Japan did not experience the same witch-hunts as medieval Europe it did present a mixed view of cats. Some myths could depict cats as peaceful spirits, but others also at times included demon cats. One such legend called ‘Bakeneko Rebellion of Nabeshime and The Cat Monster of Saga,’ which also was made into a kabuki play. The story depicts how when a retainer was killed his mother tells her sorrows to a cat and then commits suicide. The cat licks the mother’s blood and becomes an evil spirit to haunt the master. ³⁹ It is interesting that the same attributes that resulted in the domestication, and at times deifying, of cats were also what caused their demonisation. With such huge contrasts in their representations it is easy to see why they have continued to capture our attention and be immortalised in art.

Can a cat be a social commentary?

We have seen how cats have actually been reflective of the values of the times. Artists are usually looking for a way to offer their unique voice, their point of view and to comment on their society. To do this the artists have often selected a particular aspect of the personality or role of the cat. For instance Pablo Picasso’s Still Life with Cat and Lobster focuses on their predatory nature, while Andy Warhol’s Blue Cat presents their playful side. ⁴⁰ In relation to the use of the cat simply as an icon, Alexandre Steinlen is best known for his poster design for Le Chat Noir. ⁴¹ A number of stories exist about the naming of the cabaret: one was from the discovery of a dead rat under a divan; another a picture that appeared in Paris depicting a woman with décolleté liberally displayed and a black cat on her shoulder; ⁴² perhaps inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s story ‘The Black Cat’; or finally an encounter with a black cat on the side walk at the cabaret’s construction. ⁴³

Interestingly, in the mid-19th century in Japan the government banned pictures of actors and courtesans believing that they were detrimental to public morals. ⁴⁴ Artists finding a way around this began to portray famous kabuki actors instead as cats. ⁴⁵ In a similar manner Louis Wain in the late 19th century in America drew cats walking on hind legs, grinning with wide mouths and wearing clothes. They would celebrate, play sports, drink cocktails, glare and wink while getting up to mischief. ⁴⁶ They appeared in children’s illustrations, but also in comic scripts critiquing social mores that garnered him a number of famous admirers of the period. ⁴⁷

The cat in the artist’s studio

The most likely reason, however, for the presence of the cat in art is of course the presence of the cat in the artist’s home and studio. Even the simple presence of cats around artists was inspiring, with Renoir and Cassatt painting kittens, or Manet perceiving modernity and the black cat linked, or Picasso a dog lover who admired the untamed quality of feral cats. ⁴⁸ Cats are also valued by artists as they require less attention and are more independent. However, the working studio can be isolating and a cat brings life to that space, while still providing artists alone time to thrive. ⁴⁹

One such famous example is Andy Warhol who began his life in an apartment with his mother and 25 cats, which in 1954 inspired the hand-coloured lithographs for a picture book titled 25 Cats Named Sam and One Blue Pussy. ⁵⁰ Jay DeFeo worked on her large-scale masterpiece The Rose under the watchful eyes of her cat Pooh, who appeared in many photos of her studio space in San Francisco. ⁵¹ Salvador Dali, the surrealist artist, kept an ocelot cat named Babou appeared in a number of his mixed media pieces. Anecdotal stories also include how Dali loved to take Babou on a harness to local cafes.

Many artists also used the cat as part of demonstrating experimental practices. They can be perceived as enigmatic, poised between domestic and nocturnally wild. ⁵⁴ They resemble their dangerous big cat relatives behaviourally and visually, more so than their canine contrasts. ⁵⁵ There is much available for the artist to draw upon while experimenting. Paul Klee practicing what he called “the pure cultivation of the means,” relating to the use of line, shape and colour for their own sake, created his painting Cat and Bird in 1928. ⁵⁶ The picture is suggestive of a child’s drawing, as Klee believed children were close to the source of creativity. ⁵⁷

Shunso Hishida pioneered a movement of colours that replaced traditional line drawings in Japan called morotai. ⁵⁸ However, it was not until he began a study of cats that combined the vague colour style with the traditional line drawings that he had success.

Internet cats and contemporary art

Cats continue to be captured in contemporary art, both at a High Art level and in a Popular Culture way. Who does not know about Hello Kitty or Pusheen or Grumpy Cat – all of which have their own social media accounts? So why has this fascination continued? Some argue that the alignment of cat’s faces reflect the alignment of young babies’ faces, thus evoking a biological need to nurture in us. ⁵⁹ Another point of view is the one discussed in this article, which is due to cat’s presence in mythology and part of our collective storytelling milieu we are drawn to their myriad of representations. ⁶⁰ Meaning that they appeal to our sense of belonging within our own culture, and that by continuing to celebrate and engage with cat memes this can be understood as engaging with modern icons of ancient ideas. ⁶¹ Or simply is it that like our ancient ancestors the presence of the cat as a valued member in our home inspires us to immortalise them.

Regardless I am certain that we will see many more decades of cat adoration in our art.

What do you think? Leave a comment.