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Washington, United States
loves: you win if you guessed "pets" and "museums". Also books, art history, travel, British punk, Korean kimchi, bindis, martinis, and other things TBD. I will always make it very clear if a post is sponsored in any way. Drop me a line at thepetmuseum AT gmail.com !

Sunday, February 06, 2011

another mannerist cat

Bacchiacca [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons



This is another woman-and-cat portrait by Francesco Ubertini, known as Bacchiacca. It dates from 1525, and is possibly even more Mannerist in style than the first one I posted a while back.

I say this primarily due to the very odd - almost Cubist - stylization of the young woman's features and unusual posture. However, I find the hands rounded and appealing, much less spindly than the Mannerists were often wont to use. The color is more lush as well, though you always have to take reproductions from the web with a big grain of salt.

Speaking of lush, how do you like that gorgeous cat? Mm! Such dainty feet, such a perfect turn of the head. And that fur reminds me how "tabby" cats are said to have gotten the name: from atabi, a richly marked watered silk from the Baghdad area.

2 comments:

Katnip Lounge said...

The woman does have a sly look. She's probably trying to figure out how to get one up on the Cat.

Julie said...

I didn't know that's where the word "tabby" came from. How interesting. Love this painting.