Liggende kat, naar links 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard created this drawing of a ‘Liggende kat, naar links’ – or ‘reclining cat, facing left’ – at an unknown date, now held in the Rijksmuseum. The composition draws the eye to the cat’s curled form, its dark fur a dense accumulation of hatched lines against the stark, empty ground. Bernard’s cross-hatching technique models the cat’s body, creating a texture that is almost palpable. This method, however, does more than just representational work. It subtly draws attention to the drawing’s surface, reminding us that what we are seeing is not a mere depiction, but a constructed image. The absence of a background, the cat floats in an undefined space, enhancing the drawing’s semiotic qualities. Here, the cat becomes a sign, its formal properties – the curve of its body, the texture of its fur – taking on a life of their own. It suggests that the artwork is not just about seeing, but about interpreting.