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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Artists, Authors and Cats

After being forwarded another adorable cat video from a friend, I wondered what past generations would think of the 21st century’s seemingly unending fascination with all things feline. Writer Ernest Hemingway’s appreciation of the six-toed cats that now populate Key West first comes to mind. I also found this great blog post that features photographs of authors with their cats. 

Of course, writers weren't the only admirers. A quick search through our photograph archives reveals portraits of artists and their feline companions.

From the Peter A. Juley & Son Collection:

Jose de Creeft in his studio with cat
      
Agnes Tait and Cat





And though artist Peggy Bacon may be more well-known for her satirical illustrations and caricatures of modern city life, the first book she wrote and illustrated was about cats, “The True Philosopher and Other Cat Tales.” She was also fond of depicting the Manhattan alley cats she often saw in her neighborhood. Below are a few of my favorites, some of which would have been perfect for meme-style captioning:

Cat on Pillow
The Weekend, 1939
                
   

















You can find more portraits of artists and their cats (and dogs) in the Juley Collection here.

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