The Cat and the Birds 1912

Arthur Rackham made this drawing, called "The Cat and the Birds," in 1912 using black ink. I really like how he captured this cat's impatience. You can see the cat is dressed to the nines, with its smart coat and bowler hat, yet it's all business. It has places to go, people to see, and it's not waiting around! I can only imagine Rackham chuckling to himself as he made this drawing. What was it like to come up with this idea? The controlled strokes are really fascinating, as is the overall composition, which is balanced but also tense with expectation. This piece makes me want to revisit some of Rackham's other illustrations and fairy tales. It reminds us how artists are in constant conversation, exchanging ideas across time and inspiring one another’s creativity. The cat in the image embodies uncertainty, which allows for multiple interpretations rather than fixed readings.