{"id":4115,"date":"2026-01-22T10:03:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T17:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=4115"},"modified":"2026-01-22T10:03:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T17:03:05","slug":"cats-is-a-purr-fect-celebration-of-felines-in-art-throughout-the-centuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=4115","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Cats\u2019 Is a Purr-fect Celebration of Felines in Art Throughout the Centuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u2018Cats\u2019<\/p>\n

In 1835, a tortoiseshell cat measuring more than three feet long was enough to warrant a small advertisement in a British newspaper<\/a> that as \u201cthe greatest curiosity ever shown to the public,\u201d it could be viewed at the Ship Tavern in London. Surely a pint of ale was the informal fee to view this extraordinary animal.<\/p>\n

It was during the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe that cats became increasingly recognized as worthy pets, beyond their role as mousers. Breweries and distilleries often still \u201cemploy\u201d a cat or two to keep the rodents out of the grain. From supernatural kaiby\u014d<\/a><\/em> in Japanese folklore to felines\u2019 divine status in ancient Egypt, the animals have had an indelible influence on mythology, history, and our daily lives for a very long time.<\/p>\n

\"A
Xuan Loc Xuan, \u201cNasturtium Cat\u201d (2023), digital painting, 9 7\/8 \u00d7 11 3\/8 inches. Image courtesy of the artist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Forthcoming from Phaidon, the book Cat<\/a><\/em> celebrates, well, exactly what you\u2019d expect. From contemporary sculpture and illustrations to early photography and internet memes, the volume runs the gamut of feline personalities and depictions in art throughout the millennia. Yet no matter how diverse the portrayals or how long ago they were created, the creatures\u2019 expressiveness\u2014even ridiculousness\u2014is universally relatable.<\/p>\n

Cat <\/em>surveys an immense range of mediums and eras, from medieval illuminated manuscripts to modern street art. Colossal readers may be familiar with artists like Xuan Loc Xuan<\/a>, Lee Sangsoo<\/a>, and Utagawa Hiroshige<\/a>, among many others, whose multimedia explorations of feline nature fill the playful tome.<\/p>\n

Slated for release on February 11, Cat <\/em>is available for pre-order in the Colossal Shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A
Bill Traylor, Untitled (Midnight Blue Cat) (c. 1939\u201342), poster paint on found cardboard, 11 \u00d7 8 inches. Image \u00a9 Bill Traylor Family Inc. \u2013 WhosBillTraylor.com: Ricco\/Maresca Gallery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"An
Utagawa Hiroshige II, \u201cA White Cat Playing with a String\u201d (1863), woodcut, 8 3\/8 \u00d7 10 1\/2 inches. Image courtesy of the Minneapolis Institute of Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Sally J. Han, \u201cNap\u201d (2022), acrylic paint on paper mounted on wood panel, 24 \u00d7 30 inches. \u00a9 Sally J. Han. Photo by Jason Mandella <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Nathaniel Currier, \u201cThe Favorite Cat\u201d (1838\u201348), hand-colored lithograph, 12 1\/4 \u00d7 8 5\/8 inches. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"An
Jodie Niss, Untitled (#2) (2022), oil on wood panel, 16 \u00d7 12 inches. Image courtesy of the artist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"An
Andy Holden, \u201cCat-tharsis\u201d (2022), 90 cat figurines and HD video with music by The Grubby Mitts, 17 minutes. Image courtesy of the artist and Charles Moffett, New York. Photo by Thomas Barratt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article \u2018Cats\u2019 Is a Purr-fect Celebration of Felines in Art Throughout the Centuries<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1835, a tortoiseshell cat measuring more than three feet long was enough to warrant a small advertisement in a British newspaper that as \u201cthe greatest curiosity ever shown to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}