Medieval cat paintings

Internet is filled with adorable cat photos, but there was a time before the modern age when artists really struggled to make cats look cute.

Ever tried to paint a cat? While they excelled at painting religious scenes, portraits of Royalty, and naked ladies, this particular type of pussy offered an altogether different challenge. There are a couple of reasons why these funny cats look as they do in the Medieval art depictions. One of them is that the primary purpose of these paintings was to translate the religious scripts to the illiterate bear in mind that there were relatively few people who could read - monks, priests, and the nobility , and the other, unnecessary details weren't so scrupulously painted. On the other hand, linear perspective , giving a painting depth, was not systemized until the Italian Renaissance. That's why the given ugly cats look so flat and slightly misshapen. While most of them have got the basic shape of a feline down to a reasonable tee in these cat illustrations, it is the face that seems to provide the biggest problem.

Medieval cat paintings

Human beings are still working on the technology that will make us live forever. But while we wait for the discovery of the so-called fountain of youth, there is still one surefire way to be immortal: get a creative person to create something in your likeness. They lived on in the works of their creative partners. Whether tragically unrequited or happily ever after, many greats throughout history have created a way through which a person can be remembered forever. Poets and writers immortalized the loves of their lives on the pages of their works, artists painted their loves onto canvases, and musicians penned love songs that we still sing along to, to this day. So yeah, if you want to be remembered, have a creative person fall in love with you. Unfortunately, not all artistic expressions were flattering for those who were painted into a picture. Take the cats of the Medieval era. While we know cats to be cute and painfully adorable fur balls, the depictions of them in Medieval art are anything but flattering. In fact, it makes cats as a whole look like really scary, ugly creatures. Interestingly enough, the cause of this level of influence on artists of the time was actually religion!

In this work, the cat holds a crown on its head, its derpy face looking rather pleased with itself in its new position of power. They love screwing with people. One of them is that the primary purpose of these paintings was to translate the religious scripts medieval cat paintings the illiterate bear in mind that there were relatively few people who could read - monks, priests, and the nobilitymedieval cat paintings, and the other, unnecessary details weren't so scrupulously painted.

Have you ever been told in a history class to take everything with a grain of salt because we look at history through a modern lens? To artists during the medieval era, animals were seen as a reflection of society, and cats were a prime example of deviant behavior. Unlike dogs, these feudal feline friends could not be trained in loyalty—they simply came and went depending on who fed them. So, the rather odd appearance of the cats could be because they wanted their image to depict their poor societal behavior. Much of the animosity toward cats revolved around the dark forces. This is also where we get the black cat superstitions, dating back to the 12th century.

When you think of art depicting cats, the first thing that probably comes to mind is ancient Egyptian art. Although cats have been popular subjects of painting for thousands of years, it is interesting to note how popular they were during the medieval period c. From the ugly to the comical, these cats were depicted in many ways and can be found in art across many cultures. Below, we list some of the most famous Medieval cat paintings for you to explore! The ancient Egyptians held great respect for cats, as they were considered sacred. They included them in relief sculpture, papyri, tomb decorations, and the image of the cat even represented Bastet, the feline god of Egypt. During the medieval period, however, this was a different story. Due to their connection with witchcraft and paganism, cats were not seen in a favorable light by the Catholic Church. Cats were often chased from cities as a result, and some were even abused and tortured.

Medieval cat paintings

Curiosity kills the cat, but cracks up the modern-day artist when it comes to reviewing some funny and interesting representations of cats in art history. Art is subjective and more often than not, artists are imperfect too. The Middle Ages are often associated with European civilizations that emerged after the collapse of the Roman Empire and lasted until the 15th century.

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Much of the animosity toward cats revolved around the dark forces. They love screwing with people. All rights reserved. This is also where we get the black cat superstitions, dating back to the 12th century. An overview of the life and paintings of artist Norman Rockwell and an in-depth analysis of the impact of his work on American culture, including his "Rockwellesque" style, starting in Ever tried to paint a cat? What is the cat ruler of? But while we wait for the discovery of the so-called fountain of youth, there is still one surefire way to be immortal: get a creative person to create something in your likeness. Back to blog. As an Etsy affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases. So yeah, if you want to be remembered, have a creative person fall in love with you. Analysis March 6, Norman Rockwell, Explained An overview of the life and paintings of artist Norman Rockwell and an in-depth analysis of the impact of his work on American culture, including his "Rockwellesque" style, starting in This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Back in the medieval times, not everyone had access to the internet crazy, we know. There was a moment on record in when a monk wrote in outrage about a cat peeing on his manuscripts:.

Practical yet feared creatures, cats were great for catching mice, but people also believed they carried evil around with them. And even catching mice could be seen as a cursed activity, a sure sign medieval cats really couldn't catch a break.

However, according to CBC , these artists disliked receiving these projects because they ran the risk of accidentally portraying the son of God as a weak and innocent figure. How did they combat that? We have an Instagram account and a YouTube channel. Unfortunately, not all artistic expressions were flattering for those who were painted into a picture. SKM: below-content placeholder. Other artists subtly included hidden self-portraits in their work as a way to tell their story, demonstrate their power, and claim Analysis March 6, Norman Rockwell, Explained An overview of the life and paintings of artist Norman Rockwell and an in-depth analysis of the impact of his work on American culture, including his "Rockwellesque" style, starting in Take the cats of the Medieval era. Human beings are still working on the technology that will make us live forever. While medieval artists excelled at painting religious scenes and portraits of royalty, cats offered an altogether different challenge. Stay up to date!