The Ostend Cat by George Catlin - 1868 - 47 x 65.4 cm private collection The Ostend Cat by George Catlin - 1868 - 47 x 65.4 cm private collection

The Ostend Cat

Oil on canvas • 47 x 65.4 cm
  • George Catlin - July 26, 1796 - December 23, 1872 George Catlin 1868

Today is one of the most important days of the year: INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY! The cat we present today is a bit... weird.  :D

Today's masterpiece is one of the most unusual paintings in George Catlin's later oeuvre, dated 1868 and inscribed with the title on the stretcher. The cat maybe doesn't look like other cats, but for sure, it behaves like a regular cat. His focused gaze can also be easily recognized by all the cat owners; my cat, Pimpek, has the same eyes while he is fighting with the messy reality of annoying objects. Isn't he lovely?

George Catlin was an American lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the American frontier. In 1838, Catlin felt he could find a more receptive audience in Europe and moved his family to England in November 1839, then to Paris in 1845, and eventually lived in obscurity in Ostend (in today's Belgium), where he painted The Ostend Cat.

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

P.S. For more cute cats in art, please check out our Animals 50 Postcards Set in the DailyArt Shop.  :) 

P.P.S. Here are the 15 cutest cats in art history every cat lover would love! For more cats in art, see the articles below.