Cats in Art: Studies of a Cat (Freud)

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. I'm using some ideas from the coffee table book, The Cat in Art, by Stefano Zuffi.  This will be 2nd of 4 posts dealing with the artist Lucien Freud.

Wikipedia tells us:

Lucian Michael Freud, 1922 – 2011) was a German-born British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impastoed portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time. His works are noted for their psychological penetration, and for their often discomforting examination of the relationship between artist and model.

And, I might add, for his obsession with--and unflattering portrayals of--nudes in all genders, shapes and sizes.  

Image credit Bridgeman Images, Studies of a Cat, 1943 (black chalk on paper), 11" x 18", held in a private collection.

Freud was a prolific artist but focused largely on human subjects.  His kitty art was pretty thin, but I do like this sketch-like set of images.  When one uses a cat as a subject, the action poses would have to be a killer.  Freud took the easy way out by rendering a cat in repose.

After all, cats do sleep some 19 hours a day, as I once read somewhere.  All Freud would have to do is to make sure he kept a kitty or two in his studio, then wait for the inevitable cat nap.  Voila!  Instant and enduring subject!