An 18th Century Art Catalogue

What I find most interesting about cats in 18th century art is how weird most of them look. Did domestic cats look different in the 18th century, or were artists generally just very bad at drawing them? I suspect it's the latter.

If you are so foolish as to be a dog person, you might be interested in my page on dogs in 18th century art.

Cats in 18th Century Art

• Chardin, Jean Simeon. Still-Life with Cat and Fish. French. 1728. On the Web at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and at the Web Gallery of Art. Calico, or more likely tortoiseshell with white spotting.
• Jean-Étienne Liotard, The Sick Cat, 1731, on the Web at the Harvard University Art Museums. White cat with tabby stripes on the forehead.
• Hogarth, William. The Distressed Poet, 1733–1737, on the Web at Olga's Gallery, at Wikipedia, at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and at Grande Arte. White cat with tabby or black markings on head and tail, nursing one or two white or grey kittens.
• Badger, Joseph (1708–1765 American). Portrait of Helen Willis, ca. 1740. John Gordon Gallery, New York, USA. On the Web at AllPosters.com. Kitten held on girl's lap under arm, black or dark tabby with white spotting over most of body.
• Boucher, François. La toilette, 1742, on the Web at CGFA. Orange Abyssinian-type cat. Yes, the placement of the pussycat in the painting is symbolic.
• Perronneau, Jean-Baptiste (1715?–1783). A Girl with a Kitten, 1745. National Gallery, London. On the Web at the National Gallery, London. Brown tabby kitten. Girl is standing with kitten in front of her, with one hand on the kitten's back the other holding one paw. It is not clear how the kitten is supported.
• Troost, Cornelis. Joanna en de 'smousen'; 3de bedrijf, 5de toneel uit het blijspel 'De Spilpenning of de verkwistende vrouw' van Thomas Asselijn (Google translation: Joanna and the "griffon", 3rd Company, 5th stage in the comedy "The Spindle Medal or the profligate woman" of Thomas Asselijn). Cat crouched under the cabinet on the right. On the Web at the Rijkmuseum.
• Gainsborough, Thomas. Artist's daughters with a cat, 1759–1761. National Gallery, London. On the Web at the Art Renewal Center and at the Web Gallery of Art. As the Painter's daughters with a cat, on the Web at CGFA and at the National Gallery, London. The painting is unfinished and the cat is only barely sketched in.
• Juel, Jens. Kitchen Interior with a Girl Reading, 1764. On the Web at Wikimedia Commons. Cat on raised hearth.
• Greuze, Jean-Baptiste. The Nursemaids, ca. 1765. On the Web at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Black and white cat in basket.
• Gainsborough, Thomas. Studies of a cat, 1765–1769. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. On the Web at CGFA and at the Web Gallery of Art. Tabby with white spotting covering most of chest, belly, and hind legs.
• Wright of Derby, Joseph. Two Girls Dressing a Kitten by Candlelight, c. 1768–70. On the Web at Olga's Gallery. Unhappy calico kitten. The girls wear pseudo-17th century play dress.
• Welsh, E. (printmaker), Reynolds, Joshua after (painter). Mrs. Baddely (assigned title), 1772. The Fitzwilliam Museum, P.11244-R. On the Webat the Fitzwilliam Museum. Creepily badly depicted black and white kitten held by woman against her bosom.
• Lépicié, Nicolas-Bernard. Le Lever de Fanchon, 1773. On the Web at Artyzm, at the Bridgeman Art Library and at AllPosters. Calico(?) cat on the floor by her foot, with white head and neck and right hind leg.
• The fond parents. London : Printed for R. Sayer & J. Bennett No. 53 Fleet Street as the act directs, 16 Sepr. 1776. The Lewis Walpole Library, 766.09.16.01+. On the Web at the Lewis Walpole Digital Collection. Cat sleeps on mantlepiece.
• The Old Maid, published Nov. 17, 1777, by J. Walker, No. 13, Parliament Street. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-47556, LC-USZ62-19364. On the Web at the Library of Congress. Black and white print, but looks like a calico cat.
• Raspal, Antoine. Cuisine Provençal or Intérieure de cuisine (Provencal Kitchen or Kitchen Interior), around 1775–1780. On the Web at kunst für alle and at Art.com. White cat sits curled on cishion on chair at right.
• Zoffany, Johann. Sophie Dumergue, c.1780. On the Web at the Art Fund for UK Museums and at the Bridgeman Art Library. Black and white kitten on lap, over arm.
• Boucher, François, French, 1703–1770. Domestic Scene: Mother with Two Small Children before a Mantelpiece, no date. On the Web at the Art Institute of Chicago. Indistinct.
• Hilleström, Pehr (1732–1816). Kvinnor i ett kök (Women in a Kitchen), unknown date. at Wikimedia Commons. Cat at feet of woman cleaning fish.

Bonus: Cats in 17th Century Art

• Gheyn II, Jacques de, Two Witches with a Cat, 1600-10. Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia. On the Web at the Hermitage Museum. White(?) cat on woman's lap.
• Snyders, Frans. Hungry Cat with Still Life, ca. 1615–1620. Staatliche Museum, Berlin, Germany. On the Web at Olga's Gallery. Brown tabby crouched on table with designs on dead fowl.
• Weenix, Jean Baptiste (Dutch, 1621–1660). Mother & Child with Cat, 1647. Private collection, NY. On the Web at CGFA. Brown tabby, perhaps with some white on the side of the head.
• Leyster Judith. A Boy and a Girl with a Cat and an Eel, c. 1635. National Gallery, London. On the Web at Olga's Gallery. Brown tabby kitten standing precariously on boy's lap and over his arm, with girl grasping tip of tail.
• Visscher, Cornelis (Dutch, 1629–1662). The Large Cat, c. 1657. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. On the Web at the National Gallery of Art. Tabby with distinct striping.
• Ryckaert, David, III (Ryckaert the Younger). Peasant Woman with a Cat, 1640s. Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia. On the Web at the Hermitage Museum. Black cat or kitten with white snout, wrapped up in blanket, held like a baby, and being fed milk(?) by an old woman.
• Keil, Bernhard (Danish, 1624-1687). The Lacemaker, 1665. Metropolitan Museum of Art. On the Web at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting is very dark, but there is a grey cat sitting at the right of the painting, facing toward the right but with its head turned to the left toward the lace maker.
• Steen, Jan Havicksz. Kinderen leren een poes dansen, bekend als 'de dansles' (Children Teaching a Cat to Dance, known as 'The Dancing Lesson'), c. 1665-68. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. On the Web at and at Rijksmuseum Research Database, Amsterdam. Brownish kitten, possibly tabby, with white face, underside, and legs. Kitten (barely recognizable as such) is being stretched upright by the front paws and made to dance on a table by one of four torturous children.

Bonus: Cats in 16th Century Art

• Vermeyen, Jan (Dutch, 1500–1559). The Brindle Cat, 1546. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. On the Web at CGFA. Kitten-sized tabby with adult proportions.

Last updated 5 May 2024.

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