curiosity entertained the cat

thanks wikimedia commons {PD-old-100}

Here's Horatio Henry Couldery (say that three times fast; English, 1832-1893) with an oil on canvas titled "Curiosity."  The great art critic John Ruskin highly regarded Couldery's work, which the artist had honed during his years learning at the Royal Academy.  Couldery was noted for his portrayals of cats and dogs.  I can see why - you may have to click on the image above to really see, but that cat fur is amazingly lifelike.  The sheen on the dark stripes compared to the more velvety look of the lighter gray is as inviting as can be.  Plus, you have to love those faces.  The kittens are smiling and innocent in their pleasure, while the older cat is more calculating.  Yes.  Seeing a lot of that around here lately too.
Here is a blog post from elsewhere that shows and tells you lots more, and offers a picture of Mr. Couldery as well.