Twee liggende katten 1834 - 1911

Jozef Israëls made this sketch of two reclining cats with pencil on paper. Cats, creatures of duality, have fascinated us for millennia. In ancient Egypt, they were revered, embodying grace and mystery, often associated with the goddess Bastet. Their image was one of domesticity and protection. Yet, turn the page of history, and you find the cat viewed with suspicion, particularly in medieval Europe where they were linked to witchcraft and darkness. Observe how Israëls captures the essence of these felines with simple lines, their relaxed posture belying their inherent alertness. It calls to mind the primal allure cats have always held—an animal both familiar and enigmatically wild. This duality, this tension between domesticity and untamed nature, engages us on a deep level, stirring something within our collective memory. Symbols are never static. They evolve, they adapt, and they reflect our ever-changing relationship with the world. The humble cat, a testament to this eternal dance, continues to prowl through our art, dreams, and cultural landscape.