Portret van een meisje met twee katten before 1891

Here we see a photograph, made by the K.K. Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt für Photographie, depicting a girl with two cats. The association of cats with women reaches back into antiquity. Consider the Egyptian goddess Bastet, often depicted as a cat, embodying domesticity, fertility, and protection. In this image, the cats resting placidly in the fountain offer a sense of calm and domesticity, a visual echo of the ancient protective deities. Yet, the cat has another face. During the Middle Ages, cats were often associated with witchcraft and female independence, symbols of the untamed and mysterious aspects of the feminine. Here, the girl's gentle demeanor juxtaposes the wild, untamable spirit of the feline, creating a tension. The presence of these animals taps into our collective memory, stirring primal connections between humans and animals. In dreams, fables, and myths, they retain their power to engage us on a subconscious level. The symbol is never static, constantly evolving through time.