Cats in Art: Children Playing With a Cat (Cassatt)

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. I am using some ideas from the coffee table book, The Cat in Art, by Stefano Zuffi.

This post originally ran 15 Aug 2010, but I loved it so much that it deserved another posting. 

This is a perfect post for a lazy summer Sunday morning.

 

Children Playing with a Cat (may also be known as Sara Holding a Cat), Mary Cassatt, 1908. Image credit here (scroll down towards bottom). The site owner also comments:

Mary Cassatt was born in Allegheny City (Pittsburgh now), Pennsylvania but spent much of her working (painting) life in France. It was the time when Paris, France was the center of the Impressionist movement and it seems that she was inspired and motivated by the place and the people. She befriended some well known artists such as Edgar Degas and exhibited with the Impressionists.

Mary Cassatt's brother was better known than her during her life. He was Alexander J. Cassatt (1839 – 1906) the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1899 to 1906. Although Mary Cassatt struggled to achieve recognition in her lifetime, particularly in the USA, her paintings are now very valuable, one being sold for $2.87m (2005).

These kids are richly blessed, to share space with a cat for eternity.