Cats in Art: A Black Cat Leaping (Hockney)

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.  We'll continue with last week's artist, David Hockney.

Image credit Goldmark Art, here.  A Black Cat Leaping, David Hockney, 1969 (from the story The Boy who Left Home to Learn Fear. For Six Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm), approx 10" square, etching aquatint, for sale at the Goldmark Gallery.

It always boggles my mind to realize that there's a ton of art, by well-known artists, that's actually for sale, and regular people can, well, buy it if they are so inclined.

As for this image, what strikes me is that although there is a cat--a very large cat--headed straight for his face, the seated man remains unmoved and imperturbable.  The cat, for its part, seems fierce and dangerous with its mouth open and ready to bite in the next split second.

One could read all kinds of symbolism into this image, and it'd all be sheer speculation, so better just enjoy the art.  I'd mention that at first glance the painting seems flat and 2-dimensional...but then I note the shadows on the floor and suddenly think the image comes to life and is almost in motion.

Anyway, you--yes, YOU--could actually own this unsigned piece for £950 (that's 950 British pounds).

Cats in Art: Mr. And Mrs. Clark and Percy (Hockney)

[Sorry this is a day late--life interferes with blogging sometimes]

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.  

Image credit Tate Gallery, Mr. And Mrs. Clark and Percy, David Hockney, 1970-91, acrylic on canvas, 83" x 119", held by the Tate Gallery, London.

I'm back to images from the Zuffi book, who comments on this painting thusly:

This famous portrait depicts one of the most glamorous couples of the day, the stylist Ossie Clark and his wife, the model Celia Birtwell.  These are handsome, well-known people, their poses and look worthy of a magazine cover, surrounded by particular references to furnishings and taste.  Yet the painting's true protagonist may be the white cat, Percy, that, in deference to the millennia-old habits of his species, sits on his master's knees but is supremely uninterested in the scene, turning his back on the painter to gaze out the window.

First off, note that this painting is huge, some 7 feet tall and 10 feet wide--that's a big canvas!  And that Zuffi's observations are spot-on: Percy is basically being a cat, doing kitty things, to include ignoring things that are beneath his station in life.