Antique of the Week #3: The White Cat

What a goofy lil guy.

In my apartment next to my TV is a framed painting. It looks like this:

Biiig stretch!

This painting is the work of Pierre Bonnard, a French artist known for his bold use of color and, more importantly, his many depictions of cats. Completed in 1894, this one is called Le Chat Blanc—The White Cat—and it’s so fun to look at. It’s a great caricature of what cats look like when they stretch, back arched exaggeratedly, neck disappearing into the arch, legs practically doubling in length.

Now, I am not an art critic. I don’t know nothing about art, but I do know how it makes me feel. And this makes me feel so immensely happy. You can tell Pierre appreciates cats and their silly little mannerisms. I love the splashes of orange on the fur, the eyes narrowed into blissful slits, and the deep green shrubbery in the background. The whole feel of it is almost meme-like. If Pierre had painted this today, Reddit would’ve had a field day.

I just wanted to share this really quick. I don’t have much else to say about it other than I like it. It’s not technically an antique—I don’t own the original print—but it’s a reprint of an old painting, so it sorta counts. Also my cat looks just like this when he stretches. God, I love cats.