Cats in Art: Two Wild Cats (Marc)

Happy Easter!

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 is my sixteenth and probably final post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather. 

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Two Wild Cats, Franz Marc, 1913, watercolor and pencil on postcard,  5.5" x  3.5", held in a private collection.

As we saw the past two weeks, here's a third tiny image--again postcard sized--this time of a couple of spotted kitties.  Are they lynx?  Leopards?  Or does "wild" in the title merely mean that they are feral domestic kitties?

In any case, working from a smaller image, I initially had trouble figuring out how the cat on the right is posed.  Turns out its head is pointed straight down (its face actually pointing into its own belly) so as to be quite close to the head of the kitty on the left.  And what's not to like about a cat with blue spots?

Marc gets it completely right here in capturing the essence of catness: they seem relaxed, comfortable with each other, and seeming saying, "Today is a fine day to be a cat!"

Cats in Art: Two Reclining Black Cats (Marc)

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 is my fifteenth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works) 

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Two Reclining Black Cats, Franz Marc, 1913, India ink and opaque colors on postcard,  3.5" x  5.5", held in a private collection.

As we saw last week, here's another tiny image--postcard sized--this time of a couple of black kitties.  And covered with gray triangles that to me resemble nothing so much as cat ears (or shark's teeth, if you prefer).

These guys are alert and ready for whatever the painter may have in mind...but for now, just laying there is good enough.

Cats in Art: Two Cats (Marc)

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 is my fourteenth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works)

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Two Cats, Franz Marc, 1913, Gouache and Indian ink,  3.5" x  5.5", held by Franz Marc Museum, Kochel, Germany.

Unlike the kitties of the past couple weeks, which were engaged in play, today's pair of cats are just kinda hanging out.  Maybe the play is over, maybe these are old cats that don't really cavort around much, but these guys are relaxed.  The red/orange kitty up front seems dead out, while the one in the back is regarding the painter through mostly-closed eyes. 

There are a couple items of note here: first is Marc's incorporation of the night sky--stars, and a crescent moon over there in the upper left.  I just love the use of celestial images in paintings: stars, moon, cats--what's not to like?

The other thing is a phenomenon I have noted before with a couple other painters.  When you look at an image on the web or in an art book, it's two-dimensional.  You just don't have any sense of depth...nor do you have a sense of original size.  And that's the thing about this image: it is TINY, only a hair larger than your typical 3 x 5 notecard.

Cats in Art: Playing Cats (Marc)

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 is my thirteenth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works)

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Playing Cats (also known as Picture of Cats), Franz Marc, 1913, oil on canvas  17" x  26", held by Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (Germany).

This trio of kitties is a lot like last week's, with the cavorting and all.  These three are all pointed and looking the the left, where presumably someone or something noteworthy is lurking.

This image is a bit different from many of Marc's cat paintings in that the kitties here are all neutral colors: charcoal gray, pale gray, and white.  Here we have no garish oranges or reds, and even the background is much more muted than usual.

Mr. Marc may have gotten up on the wrong side of bed 101 years ago.

Cats in Art: Three Cats (Marc)

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 is my twelfth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works)

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Three Cats, Franz Marc, 1913, oil on canvas  28" x  40", held by Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen - Dusseldorf (Germany).

This is my first post using my brand new iMac desktop computer.  I am used to posting something new practically every day, so thank you all for your patience during this light blogging week.

I gotta say, after decades of PC usage in the Microsoft environment, this is going to take me some time to figure things out.  It's just, well, way different.  Not necessarily better, but just different, although I am hopeful that the Apple world will prove to be a better environment.  One very noteworthy observation: I must say that I am not seeing all those annoying, overlapping ads that were practically commandeering my web usage.

I'm sure that all the functionality is here somewhere, it's just that I can't figure out where things are.  I was used to going to "My Documents" or "My Computer" and as of yet I haven't hit upon those equivalents.  

But I've only been up and running for a few hours, so patience is indicated. 

So...as for this image of 3 cats, here we have a white and black one in the center kicking up its heels like a wild horse aiming a shot at the striped kitty's jaw; the striped kitty on the right with the goofy look like it has a just caught been licking its own parts; and the huge red/orange cat in the back, the only one with dignity and suaveness.  And the one that I would like most to "own."

Here as with previous Marc paintings, we have realism mixed with stylistic features, and the continued usage of big, bold colors.  

Cats in Art: The White Cat (Marc)

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 is my eleventh post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

Image credit The Atheneum, here. The White Cat (also known as Tom Cat on Yellow Pillow), Franz Marc, 1912, oil on cardboard, 19" x  24", held by Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg (Germany).

After last week's enigmatic painting, full of layers of hidden images, this one is simple and straightforward: a kitty relaxing on a pillow.  What could be more natural than that?

This is quintessential Marc: bold colors (white, yellow, red); very natural and lifelike cat pose; and evoking the emotions of contentment and total relaxation.

Plus it looks like the bride and I are not the only cat owners to overfeed their cat babies.

Cats in Art: Three Animals (Dog, Fox and Cat) (Marc)

[Late update 1030 Sunday: I just took another look at this image.  Now I see a horse head, eye closed, facing right and parallel with the dog's head, with the horse's nose almost touching the nose of the dog.  The head of the horse is integrated into the cat like 2 pieces of a puzzle, with the horse's mane being the chest/shoulder stripes of the cat's fur.]

 

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 is my tenth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

 

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Three Animals (Dog, Fox and Cat), Franz Marc, 1912, oil on canvas, 31" x 41", held by Kunsthalle Mannheim (Germany).

 

 

OK, this painting takes a bit of staring at to get it to register.  The pale gray dog in the center is obvious, as is the red fox in upper right.  But what's that under the dog's belly?  Or what looks to be a single eye (in a feline head?) to the right of the dog's face?

 

When I initially tried to find the kitty I just could not see it at all--then it practically leaped from the painting, over on the right edge.  Maybe you saw it immediately, but I had a temporary visual or mental block.

 

While the dog and fox are bold and obvious, almost forceful in their strong lines and strong colors, the kitty is an interesting counterpoint: muted, demure, and melting into the shadows. 

 

But seemingly unconcerned about the close presence of the canid brutes.

 

 

 

Cats in Art: Cat With Kittens (Marc)

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 is my ninth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916.  Maybe he even knew my great-grandfather.  This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

 

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Cat With Kittens, Franz Marc, 1912, oil, gouache and pencil on cardboard, 14" x 12", held by Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg, Germany.

 

 

In a painting little more than the size of an ordinary sheet of paper, Marc manages to evoke the essence of cat motherhood.  Nestled on a blanket or cover, Mom seems dead asleep and the two kittens, while possibly also napping, seem just a tad alert to me, just enjoying snuggling with their mother.  But also ready to play if the situation changes.

 

Just like human children.  Seems we still have a lot to learn from cat love.

 

And the kitten colors--maybe the symbolism of black and white is a little too obvious and Marc just painted two kitties of those colors, just because.  But I for one can't help but wonder if Marc did this on purpose, to make us think a bit about human lives and how sometimes they seem destined from birth toward a certain path. 

 

This simple painting, little bigger than a sheet of paper, lovingly created in a German studio a hundred years ago, touches me today.  Kitty or human child, this image makes me wonder what their futures lives will hold, what paths they will choose, what awful and wonderful fates await them....

 

 

Cats in Art: Cats, Red and White (Marc) 1912

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 is my eighth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

 

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Cats, Red and White, Franz Marc, 1912, oil on canvas, 20" x 14", held in a private collection).

 

I'd call the rightmost kitty orange, not red, but I didn't paint it so I sure don't get to name it.  If I were guessing I'd assume the white cat is female and the red (orange) one is male, just from their postures, body language, and their relative sizes.

 

The white one seems a bit sad, as though it's trying a tad too hard to buddy up to the red (orange) cat and not getting anywhere.

 

That's it for now, typing is a bit uncomfortable (due to injury described here, although I am progressing).

 

 

Cats in Art: Girl With Cat II (Marc)

(Sorry that this is late, but you'll like this enigmatic painting)

 

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 is my seventh post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

 

Image credit The Atheneum, here. Girl With Cat II, Franz Marc, 1912, oil on canvas, 28" x 26", held in a private collection).

 

Again we see Marc's use of simple strokes and bold, primary colors.  And a couple of other details pop out at me:

 

--The cat is an almost fox-like kitty, given the rusty reddish color and the vaguely canine-contoured face. Be that as it may, the kitty seems 90%relaxed, but the body posture still bears a hint of "I could still bolt if this doesn't work out."

 

--The enigmatic woman seems very Madonna-like in her posture.  This theme could well have been emulating a classic Renaissance-era painting of Mary with the Christ child.

 

--And the woman's smile: did Mona Lisa like kitties?  Plus check out her hands: large and pale, yet loving and tender.

 

--Last, the buttons on her dress: big, bold, many.

 

All in all, a rich image with much to think about.

 

 

 

 

Cats in Art: Nude With Cat (Marc)

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 is my fifth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

 

 

Image credit The Atheneum, here.  Nude With Cat, Franz Marc, 1910, oil on canvas, 34" x 31", held by Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus (Germany).

 

Other than the fact that the naked woman may appear to be drowning the poor kitten in a saucer of milk, this is an interesting painting.  The scene is outdoors, with the nude seated on a cushion on the steps, trying to get the kitten to drink.

 

One may speculate that the kitty is an outdoor cat, unused to humans or milk, and needs to be persuaded that both are really OK.  Marc's choice to make the nude heavy and muscular may be a deliberate choice to contrast with the tiny size and vulnerability of the kitten.  I'd call the cat's color orange, but the bride likes to call such cats butterscotch.

 

I personally am struck with Marc's use of primary colors--oranges, yellows, greens, and blues, which lend an air of simplicity and innocence to the scene.  All in all, an interesting painting.

 

 

Cats in Art: Cats (Marc)

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 is my fourth post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

 

 

Image credit The Atheneum, here.  Cats, Franz Marc, 1910, oil on canvas, 20" x 24", held in a private collection.

 

Again, a pair of pussycats, both of which appear simultaneously relaxed yet also watchful.  The grey and white kitty in the front doesn't quite have its head down for the full nap.  And the orange and white in the rear has its eyes open the barest of cracks, waiting for some human interaction, perhaps when the person needs to retrieve the shirt being laid upon.

 

After all, no self-respecting cat can pass up a garment laying on the floor or bed.

 

As with the previous works in this series, Marc demonstrates again his complete mastery of cat attitude, posture, and body langauge.

 

 

Cats in Art: Two Grey Cats (Marc)

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 is my third post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

Image credit The Atheneum, here.  Two Gray Cats (also known as Study of Cats II), Franz Marc, 1909, oil on canvas, 16" x 20", held in a private collection.

At first glance I originally thought that these kitties were laying in the snow, then I realized that they were on a bedsheet or cover of some sort, from Marc cleverly showing us a glimpse of the underlying surface down there in the lower right.

 

Both are clearly calico, thus female.  What I really like about this image is while the one in the foreground is napping, so dead to the world that she is sleeping on her forehead, the girl in the back is keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings. 

 

As previously noted, Marc really know the subtle nuances of cat posture.  Make you wonder who the cats were in his life.

 

 

Cats in Art: Two Cats (Marc)

 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 is my second post (first was here) on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916. This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).

 

This one--like last last week's from 3 years later--is also entitled Two Cats.

 

 

Image credit Wikipaintings, here. Two Cats, Franz Marc, 1909, oil on canvas, size and location not available.

 

Here we have two very different cats than the pair last week.  The one in this foreground is obviously a calico, thus is female; the  orange and white cat in the back could be either male or female.  Regardless, check out the tails, which reveal the deference of the calico to the orange and white.

 

Stylistically this painting is quite realistic, and the cat images are very authentic.  Marc captures so well the essence of catness: power and grace, especially in the proud orange and white.

 

 

Cats in Art: Two Cats (Marc)

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 is my first post on Franz Marc (1880-1916), a key German painter whose life tragically ended early on the Western Front in 1916.  This will be a multi-week series (I am still uncovering his cat works).  

 

Image credit Wikipaintings, here.  Two Cats, Franz Marc, 1912, oil on canvas, 38" x 29", held by Offentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel, Switzerland.

 

Zuffi is clearly a fan:

 

Perhaps the greatest of all modern animal painters, in 1911 Marc joined Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), and avant-garde Expressionist group formed in Munich...Marc's excessive attraction to nature drove him to depict animals almost exclusively, especially cats and horses; this passion lasted all of his short life, which was brought to a premature end in France during the First World War [Gary note: as was my great-grandfather]....Marc's work is strongly pervaded by a "romantic" sentiment, derived from his early studies of the philosopher Schelling.  With the distinction between subject and background lost, these two cats by Marc are extraordinarily "expressionistic" in their pre-Cubist deconstruction.

 

 

I get mostly lost in the art theory above, but I do know this: Marc obviously knew cats and rendered some mighty fine interpretation of them here.  The greenish-yellow cat on the right (I never imagined I would ever write something like that!) looks fiercely and intently focused...on what?  The blueish-black cat that dominates the center, is, well, licking its privates or its back, I can't tell which.  But each kitty is quite realistic, despite being a stylistic painted object.

 

I particularly love Marc's use of circles and spirals to denote cat anatomy: be sure to check out the rounded hind legs, the chest, the elbow, the face, the paws, and (of course!) the tail.

 

All are expressionistic representations of real anatomy, representations that truly work in this painting.