by Marina Kochetkova in Arts Magazine. Thanks to Ann M.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Portrait of Julie Manet (or Girl with a Cat), 1887, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France. Detail.
I like cats and I’m sure that many of you do, too. A fascinating animal, the cat has earned itself an important place in culture, literature, and art. Artists gave it a rich variety of symbolic meanings. However, at times they seem to hide these cute creatures from our sight. Can you spot the cats in their paintings? Beware, though, if you don‘t spot all the cats, you will have to sing along to the song.
1. Superstitious Cat – Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch’s (c. 1450–1516) triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights is full of symbolic references. It illustrates the human journey between divine influence and diabolic temptation, between salvation and damnation. For example, in the moment of Creation, God is presenting Eve to the astonished Adam. Here, we should think of love, harmony, and wonder at a world that does not know sin. However, close to Adam, we spot a big cat carrying prey in its mouth. In this Paradise, it symbolizes the arrival of evil, even before the appearance of the tempting serpent. (continued)
