dogs dream

thanks wikipaintings.org. image in public domain

I was actually surprised to learn this was an Impressionist work; I think I got fooled by the serene, pale beige tones that dominate this watercolor.  Here's "Fireside Dreams," from 1887, by the American artist Julian Alden Weir.  Could those dogs look any more relaxed?

coordinate your cats

from book in public domain

From Good and Bad Cats by Frederick White (New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1911).  Much of this odd/cute book uses cats as a thin disguise for correct childhood behavior.  Want to see the whole wacky thing? Try this GoogleBooks link.

vintage photo time

thank you ampersand

Nothing on the back to explain this one, but I love her smile and the dog's imposing presence.

"my only friends"

I keep hearing that the reliance on pets for strong daily relationships is a modern thing.  It's certainly not, as I can prove below with this poem by Ebenezer Elliott (1781-1849).  

***

MY ONLY FRIENDS

My heart grows sick when home I come—
May God the thought forgive!
If 'twere not for my cat and dog
I think I could not live.
My cat and dog when I come home
Run out to welcome me;
She, mewing with her tail on end,
While wagging his comes he.
They listen for my homeward steps,
My smothered sob they hear,
When down my heart sinks, deathly down,
Because my home is near.

Why come they not? They do not come
My breaking heart to meet;
A heavier darkness on me falls,
I cannot lift my feet.
Oh, yes, they come—they never fail
To listen for my sighs;
My poor heart brightens when it meets
The sunshine of their eyes.
Again they come to meet me—God!
Wilt thou the thought forgive?
If 'twere not for my cat and dog
I think I could not live.

My playful cat and honest dog
Are all the friends I have.

***

From Robert Maynard Leonard's 1893 compilation The Dog in British Poetry, pp.251-2.

sassy cat

thank you wikipaintings.org (image in public domain)

This is Julie Manet, Edouard Manet's niece.  (Here's what she looked like a little later on in life.) The painting is by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  The year is 1887.  And the cat, name and important social position unknown, is stealing the show.

i'm a kitty cat and i dance dance dance

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artist, SAG

A toy in midair - attack or dance?  With a cat it's both, as Orlando biology buff/artist SAG knows.  Here's a velvety black cat in velvety black ink, distilled to gesture and a wicked smile.  When I ran across this piece I thought how Japanese it looked, and with good reason, as SAG later wrote me:
"I suppose if I had to sum up the character of my work in a single sentence, it is that I seem unable to decide which I love more, art or science, and so I have combined the two in a style that is informed by the simple, elegant lines of traditional Japanese art (but does not (unfortunately!) resemble them)."
SAG's favorite subjects include not only more jolly felines, but delightful lizards and insects - even a bat bookmark that I would be happy to poke into my nighttime reading.  Have a look at the Etsy shop SAG calls OniOniOniArt.

bunnies in their world

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artist

Big calm bunnies.  Little bunnies, in need of a little reassurance.  Why not pretend they have cozy burrows with braided rugs and armchairs, and exciting books to read of an evening?  Beatrix Potter created a universe like that, and I have to say this print by Massachusetts artist Kim Parkhurst - working as Toadbriar - has just such a feel. I'm also enamored of the smooth form and warm, serene shading that builds this scene.  Let me bring Toadbriar herself in to tell you more:

When I have made a painting that resonates with a viewer, it is a wonderful little instant bond of recognition and shared experience. Animals disarm us and get right through our defenses to our tender parts, and the magic of eliciting a smile of recognition from a complete stranger viewing one of my paintings is a great joy for me. Our family is a diverse flock - two dogs and three cats, a horse and goats, ducks and geese, and a talking parrot as my studio supervisor. The duck pond is the meeting place for all sorts of wildlife, from deer to turtles, frogs, and occasionally herons. It's a rich environment to grow inspiration.
So - the communication is magic. As that poem ("Pangur Ban" - Curator) from 1200 years ago makes my heart swell with fondness and recognition for that monk and his dear kitty who is just like mine in his Very Serious Duty, I get to make art that forges a similar connection to other people. I don't know if some of those people will be from 1200 years into the future, but thinking about that is only a distraction from my more immediate and joyous task of making my pictures. 

Over at her Etsy shop you can see more of the sweet Toadbriar universe.  Check out the label for Kitty Biscuits, or for Yella Fella Apples.
 

ann tracy and her shepherds

thanks wikimedia commons {PD:US}

Have you ever seen an all-white German Shepherd?  I haven't and they must be something splendid.  Look at the two in this photo of around 1919.  They're elegant creatures bordering on the exotic, and it's not lost on me that they lend some of that glamour to their human.  As it happens, this human is Ann Tracy, owner of the first White German Shepherds registered with the AKC, and a champion of the breed as distinct from their polychromatic brothers.  You can read more about this breed's history at the American White Shepherd Association.

i can't tell you this is a good cat poem

This is "A Pet Kitten" from The Miscellaneous Poems of Mrs. Hannah Eayrs Barron (Nashua, NH: Barker & Bean, 1884), and top-notch 19th-c schlock it is.  I had tears in my eyes after reading this...tears of laughter.  (Edit, November 2012:  Upon getting the time to read a little more of the slim volume, I must say there actually are some truly pleasant verses in there that would do well in any anthology.  I recommend "The Farmer's Welcome" for its sincerity and joy.)

* * *

Now my pretty little kitty,

She is dead and gone for aye;

And it seems so sad a pity,

That I cannot see her play.

I had thought if she kept growing.

She would soon he a big cat; 

And that she would be so knowing.

She would catch the mice and rats.

She was treated just as kindly,

As a petted child could be;

And perhaps was just as blindly

Killed with kindness, that may be.

Now she is not any better

Than a once loved worn out hat; 

Or a cherished old love letter,

Or some other lost pet cat.

* * *

I should have seen this coming from a poet whose slim volume also offers such delights as "A Cross Made of Hair," "A Crow Caught in a Trap," "My Old House is Going to Decay," "I Do Not Fear to Die," and "It is First-Rate to Be a Yankee."  There's actually a couple more kitty-themed jewels in here, but I'm going to save those for another day's treat.

go fish

thanks wikimedia commons {PD-old-100}

When a print has been captured on silk, like this one, think how the water in the bowl and the fish must lightly glisten.  This is a work by the Japanese artist Isoda Koryusai (active 1766-1788), known primarily for his portraits of beauties - human ones.  This cat is a beauty too with its silver tabby markings, set off with a bow round its neck.  But who would leave a pot of goldfish on the floor and not expect kitty to get into it?

Learn a little more about Koryusai here.

dog deco

image and book in public domain

Neat huh?  This is the copyright page from George Barr McCutcheon's novel The Day of the Dog.  Almost every page has an embellishment at the bottom - a sheaf of wheat, three pots of blooms, the occasional story character - all done in sinuous Art Deco style.

vintage photo time

thanx ampersand

It's a little soon for Vintage Photo Time, but I got a chance to dig through the bin at Ampersand this weekend.  I found this fellow there and thought he was also wearing a "winter fur" like the kitten in Herford's poem.

oliver herford on kitten fur

From the always-delightful Oliver Herford's 1911 collection The Kitten's Garden of Verses: a kitten's take on the fine June weather...

Winter and Summer

In Winter when the air is chill,

And winds are blowing loud and shrill, 

All snug and warm I sit and purr,
Wrapped in my overcoat of fur.

In Summer quite the other way,
I find it very hot all day, 

But Human People do not care,
For they have nice thin clothes to wear.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the world is like a stew,
And I am much too warm to purr,
I have to wear my Winter Fur?

cat in, cat out - or both

thanks wikimedia commons {{PD-old}}

On a fine day like this, why pick in or out when one can sit on the stoop enjoying the best of both worlds?  This  serene early 20th century oil on canvas is by Filippo Corelli.  I can't dig up anything else about him so far, but this piece is in the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, Malta.  The museum doesn't seem to have its own site, but is part of a larger one for all Malta's cultural institutions that you may really enjoy - Heritage Malta.  Go explore!

vintage photo time

thank you ampersand bulk bin

The only imperfection in this photo?
The puppy didn't get his own stylish neck scarf. 

immediate smile, dog version

original artwork courtesy of and rights reserved by artist TheLittleKiwi

TheLittleKiwi is Caitlin, a young artist in Northern California currently studying for her Bachelors in studio art.(Curator's correction:  Caitlin graduated from HSU! Congratulations.)  This unnamed dog piece is in acrylic, which lends itself well to bright colors.  That's part of where this fellow gets his lively feel, but mostly it's those bright eyes and that smile. Let me bring in what Caitlin had to say here:

"This guy was actually the start of my dog series. He was a school assignment to represent optimism. I couldn't think of anything that would spread happiness like a smiling puppy. I ended up working on my other dogs to expand on this concept. Since I'm a believer in adoption, I wanted to portray dogs that were in shelters. Each one has its own unique personality. Hopefully, when people see them, they will realize that shelter puppies can bring just as much happiness as any other dog."

She paints these portraits from photographs, which makes the immediate hope in this little guy's face all the more impressive.  You can keep up with her through her Etsy shop here.  And I hope with all my heart this pup found a home worthy of him.

a cat looks into the light (bulb), c. 1910

thanks wikimedia commons {{PD-US}}

Wouldn't it be lovely if my light bulb choice could make me look that slim and stylish.  This is a poster of around 1910 by the artist and industrial designer Geza Farago for the Tungsram light bulb/vacuum tube company.  Though acquired in 1990 by GE, Tungsram still does business in Hungary. They had the good sense to include this fine image in their company website.
I couldn't dig up much on Farago, who was born and died in Bucharest (1877-1928) with periods of study in Paris and areas outside Bucharest.  Here's what I could find, with a link included to some of his other works.  He was a pupil of Mucha, one of the iconic names in Art Nouveau. I really prefer this version of the style:  simpler forms, vivid color.  And a great cat.

an excellent duck

image copyright and by kindest permission of sue gerber artwork

Ducks are marvelous creatures. I cannot believe anyone cannot be swayed by the sheer likeability of a duck. That's why you're looking at this one: I meant to post one of Sue Gerber's dog portraits, but I could not pass up this excellent fellow. Besides, it's in charcoal, a medium I truly appreciate for its warm and velvety qualities. You could almost imagine you see him (her? I'm not up on my duck gender specifics) breathing or shaking out a feather here and there.  So I was delighted to be borne out in that observation when Sue wrote me:  "I don't usually use photos for portraits, I prefer live drawing which is fresh and full of vitality."
She also creates pet portraiture, and that requires a different sort of seeing: "With someone's pet though, you have to be very accurate and photos are the best way. The more I looked, the more I saw in the photos and I became quite intrigued with the process."  She executes these portraits in watercolor.  You should drop by Etsy and have a look at them.
"I studied textile design in art school," Sue wrote, "but I taught myself to paint in watercolours. That started off with me painting a dog portrait as a present for a friend so I was very, very careful to get it right...I love watercolours. There are so many happy accidents with that medium that you can take credit for!"  Longtime readers of the Museum know that's also one of the things I truly love about that medium.  A splendid motherlode of pet portraits is ready to delight you at her website.  There's a certain ginger tabby...I could just reach out and run my fingers through its cheek fur.  Time and love, captured.