Mister Tristan: Gerard

Showing posts with label Gerard. Show all posts

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Cats in Art: La Duchesse Abrantes et le General Junot (Gerard)

Image credit The Athenaeum, La Duchesse Abrantes et le General Junot, Marguerite Gerard, no other information available.

The kitty close-up reveals (poorly) a cat crouched down at the front left corner:

After the almost in-your-face cats in my recent posts on Gerard, this nondescript gray cat, whose form is scarcely recognizable as a feline, huddles unobtrusively in an otherwise bright, cheery painting.

Why Gerard painted this gray kitty this way, adding it to this social image, will remain forever a mystery. I'm thinking the most simple explanation: this cat belonged to the Duchesse, who requested it be painted for posterity. Thus an unidentified little gray cat from a couple of centuries ago achieves immortality of sorts.

[Gary note: With my Cats in Arts posts, I encourage you to scope out the art appreciation site Artsy (I have no financial interest in the site, I just like it), where you can explore many aspects of the world of art. You'll certainly be entertained and enlightened!]

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Cats in Art: Cat's Triumph (Gerard)

Image credit The Athenaeum, Cat's Triumph, Marguerite Gerard, 1785, held by the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Russian Federation - Moscow, no other information available.

And the kitty close-up:

I guess the work's title--Cat's Triumph--derives from the fact that the primary human is holding the cat, not the dog.

Paintbrush drop, walk off out of the studio.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Cats in Art: The Beloved Child (Gerard)

Sorry for no post last week. Life, etc.
From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. Having moved on from Stefano Zuffi's marvelous work, The Cat in Art, I am now using some ideas from Caroline Bugler's equally impressive book, The Cat/3500 Years of the Cat in Art. You really should check out and/or own both of these wonderful works, easily available on Amazon or eBay (and I have no financial interest).

This is the third of several posts on the cat art of Marguerite Gerard.

Image credit The Athenaeum, The Beloved Child, Marguerite Gerard, oil on canvas, 17" x 22", held by Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

And the kitty close-up:

Yeah that's just what a cat would like: riding in a sled, getting pulled/pushed by a couple of women, while being held by a toddler, with a big dog a mere couple of feet away.

What could possibly go wrong?

Ms. Gerard must have rolled in different cat circles than I do.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Cats in Art: Motherhood (Gerard)

Image credit The Athenaeum, Motherhood, Marguerite Gerard, 1805, medium and size unspecified, held by The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (Russian Federation - Moscow).

And the kitty close-up:

To me it appears that there are a pair of kitties here: the obvious white one, plus a dark cat closer to the painter. The white cat seems at first fascinated with the mom and the toddler, although upon looking more, the eyes seem more directed towards the other cat or the artist rather than the mother/child combo.

So....we have a cat (or a pair of kitties) not all that interested in Motherhood. Figures.

FYI, there's another Gerard painting called Motherhood, sans chat. And one also called Motherhood, avec chat, that I only can seem to located on Pinterest.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Cats in Art: Lady With a Cat (Gerard)

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. Having moved on from Stefano Zuffi's marvelous work, The Cat in Art, I am now using some ideas from Caroline Bugler's equally impressive book, The Cat/3500 Years of the Cat in Art. You really should check out and/or own both of these wonderful works, easily available on Amazon or eBay (and I have no financial interest).

Last week's post concluded my study of Jean-Honore Fragonard, and with this post we're transitioning to the art of one of his students and sister-in-law. This will be the first of several posts on the cat art of Marguerite Gerard.

I previously did a Gerard series back in the spring of 2017, but these are additional images that complement those previously featured.

Image credit The Athenaeum, Lady With a Cat, Marguerite Gerard. Circa 1804, oil on canvas, 13" x 10", holder unspecified.

And the kitty close-up:

The large white cat with the orange marking looks, shall we say, a tad annoyed. Not annoyed enough to bite or scratch--yet--but sufficiently peeved to glare at the artist as though to say: "What are you looking at?"

The woman seems composed and almost aloof, as though the cat's mood is nothing particularly noteworthy or alarming ("Oh, the cat's acting pissy again").

And the fact remains that the cat is right there on what looks to be the arm of a chair. He/she could be anywhere but close to sit there, so the glare is really just a ploy. The cat is actually devoted to human contact.

At least that's been my experience over some decades of cat interaction.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Cats in Art: The Swaddled Cat (Gerard and Fragonard)

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. Having moved on from Stefano Zuffi's marvelous work, The Cat in Art, I am now using some ideas from Caroline Bugler's equally impressive book, The Cat/3500 Years of the Cat in Art. You really should check out and/or own both of these wonderful works, easily available on Amazon or eBay (and I have no financial interest).

As you will see below, after some 5 weeks of Jean-Honore Fragonard art, this post is a bridge collaboration between Fragonard and his young sister-in-law, Marguerite Gerard.

Then I'll focus upon Marguerite Gerard in her own right over the ensuing several weeks.

Image credit Museum de Grasse, Marguerite Gerard, The Swaddled Cat, 1778, brown wash and black chalk, 17" x 14", held by Museum de Grasse, Grasse, Provence, France.

And the super cute kitty close-up:

Bugler tells us:

A little girl plays dolly with a young cat who seems to be joining in with relish; with eyes half-closed he does not look in the least unhappy to be bound up and laid on his back.

One can easily understand why, in 1778, for her first foray into engraving, the sixteen year old Marguerite Gerard--with assistance from Fragonard himself, her brother-in-law and teacher--chose to reproduce this composition that she surely must have found amusing. Gerard too must have been a cat lover, as some fine specimens are to be found in her own paintings.

And from the Museum de Grasse web site:

Around 1775, Marguerite Gérard, who was barely able to ready and write, moved into the house of her sister, Marie-Anne Gérard, who had been married to Jean-Honoré Fragonard for six years. She became Fragonard's pupil and learned to paint, draw and engrave. Fragonard undoubtedly corrected the drawings of his young pupil and introduced her to etching, which enabled her to proudly sign this first print in 1778: The Swaddled Cat. In 1780, she began to collaborate with the master, as shown by the engravings which include the statement "painted by Fragonard and Miss Gérard", and the signing of several prints.

My thoughts? Gerard--as a 16 year old--absolutely nailed the placid kitty's face. Also, as an aside, when I googled The Swaddled Cat Gerard, I found the museum hit....but then pages of sites that tell you how to wrap up a scared kitty to keep it calm.

[Gary note: With my Cats in Arts posts, I encourage you to scope out the art appreciation site Artsy (I have no financial interest in the site, I just like it), where you can explore many aspects of the world of art. You'll certainly be entertained and enlightened!]

Monday, May 8, 2017

Cats in Art: First Steps or The Nourishing Mother (Gerard)

[Gary note: sorry, this should have posted yesterday]

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. Having moved on from Stefano Zuffi's marvelous work, The Cat in Art, I am now using some ideas from Caroline Bugler's equally impressive book, The Cat/3500 Years of the Cat in Art. You really should check out and/or own both of these wonderful works, easily available on Amazon or eBay (and I have no financial interest).

This is fifth of several posts on the art of Marguerite Gerard.

Image credit Jean-Honoré Fragonard Villa-Museum, First Steps or The Nourishing Mother, Marguerite Gerard, 1803, oil on wood, dimensions unspecified.

And the (unfortunately not sharp) kitty close-up:

At least one can see that the cat, hiding under a jacket or blanket, is alert and involved in what is happening with its human family. And with a very long tail.

Look at the lighting. While the background is dark and nondescript, the two women are strongly bathed in ethereal light, as, of course, is the baby taking its first steps. And the cat, even though partially covered, is also the recipient of the warm light, according it equal status with the three people.

I find it fascinating that Gerard added this cat to this painting--makes it seem like this one was a particularly loved family pet.

[Gary note: With my Cats in Arts posts, I encourage you to scope out the art appreciation site Artsy (I have no financial interest in the site, I just like it), where you can explore many aspects of the world of art. You'll certainly be entertained and enlightened!]

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Cats in Art: The Swaddled Cat (Gerard)

Image credit Musee de Grasse, The Swaddled Cat, Marguerite Gerard, 1778, etching, held by Musee de Grasse, size unspecified.

Here's what the museum web site tells us about this etching:

Around 1775, Marguerite Gérard, who was barely able to read and write, moved into the house of her sister, Marie-Anne Gérard, who had been married to Jean-Honoré Fragonard for six years. She became Fragonard's pupil and learned to paint, draw and engrave. Fragonard undoubtedly corrected the drawings of his young pupil and introduced her to etching, which enabled her to proudly sign this first print in 1778: The Swaddled Cat.

In 1780, she began to collaborate with the master, as shown by the engravings which include the statement "painted by Fragonard and Miss Gérard", and the signing of several prints.

First off, young Marguerite did this etching when she was a 17 year old. Not too shabby an effort! And the rendering of the kitty--that facial expression of total relaxation and bliss is captured so well. That cat is in kitty heaven, at least for the moment. It reminds me of the stories my mother-in-law tells me about growing up on the farm in the 1930s, where she would dress up the barn cats and push them around in a stroller.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Cats in Art: The Angora Cat (Gerard)

Image credit Wallraf-Richartz Museum & Foundation Corboud, The Angora Cat, Marguerite Gerard, 1783, oil on canvas, 26" x 22", held by Wallraf-Richartz Museum & Foundation Corboud.

And the kitty close-up:

Bugler tells us:

The Angora Cat, painted in collaboration with Jean-Honore Fragonard, shows a cat baffled by its reflection in a convex mirror.

And the museum website tells us:

In the centre of the painting is a curious scene: evidently a black cloth has just been taken off the silver globe. An Angora cat has discovered her reflection and may have decided it is a rival. The globe also reflects what is going on behind us, so to speak: a woman is sitting at an easel in a small room with two other people.

While this is a pretty cool painting, I personally think the whole concept of cats and mirrors is overblown. None of our kitties ever seemed to perceive the cat in the mirror, much less react to the "intruder." That said, the concept of this painting is rather cool, where the reflective globe shows the viewer what else is going on in the room.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Cats in Art: Prelude to a Concert (Gerard)

Image credit National Museum of Women in the Arts, Prelude to a Concert, Marguerite Gerard, ca 1810, oil on canvas, 22" x 18", held by National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC.

And the kitty close-up. Look very closely at this dark image to see the dark calico kitty on the table beside the sheet music:

Tool bad that Gerard did not throw a little of the light that illuminates the lady's bosom over onto the cat! And as for the cat, making out her features is next to impossible, but I can detect that the cat's ears are pricked up and the eyes seem focused and intent, likely on the dog over there at the bottom left.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts website tells us about this painting:

Here, the female singer is clad in a sumptuous white satin gown, attire often seen on Gérard’s female subjects. She pauses to gaze up at her male accompanist, perhaps in response to a romantic overture. The tension of an erotic narrative is further supported by the guitar, often compared to the female body; the dog, a traditional emblem of fidelity; and the cat, a symbol of sexual promiscuity.

Really? Cats are a symbol of sexual promiscuity? That's news to me, but maybe my affection for cats explains why I am such a deviate.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Cats in Art: The Cat's Lunch (Gerard)

Image credit Jean-Honoré Fragonard Villa-Museum, The Cat's Lunch (or Young Girl Giving Milk to Her Cat), Marguerite Gerard, ca 1800, oil on canvas, 24" x 19", held by Jean-Honoré Fragonard Villa-Museum, France.

And the kitty close-up:

Bugler tells us:

The charming owner of this splendid tortoiseshell and white cat is actually kneeling in front of her enthroned pet to offer up a dish of milk, under the envious eye of the dog. The canine and feline pairing occurs in another of Gerard's paintings, Prelude to a Concert, while The Angora Cat, painted in collaboration with Jean-Honore Fragonard, shows a cat baffled by its reflection in a convex mirror. [Gary note: these two paintings will be featured over the next couple weeks as we dig deeper into the cat art of Marguerite Gerard]

Here are my comments. First, this cat is a BEAST, sized more like a lynx or a bobcat. Its head is about the same size as that of the girl. Plus, the cat is really annoyed, despite the milk: just take a look at the flattened ears. Probably because of the overeager dog sitting beside the girl, hoping for a treat or a cat fight.

That said, Gerard somehow manages to have the painting project almost an air of tranquility or serenity, even with the obvious canine-feline potential for disaster. The lighting, the colors, the girl, and the overall mood of the painting manage to dissuade the viewer from feeling anxious about the subject matter.