Studieblad, ondere andere met een baby en een kat 1881 - 1883

This study, hastily sketched by George Hendrik Breitner, features a baby, a cat, and everyday objects. The cat, an age-old symbol, captures our attention. Throughout history, the cat has been a deeply ambivalent figure. In ancient Egypt, it was revered, a sacred animal associated with goddesses and domestic harmony. Yet, in the Middle Ages, the cat became linked with witchcraft and dark omens, embodying feminine mystique and independence, traits often feared. Here, Breitner's cat sketch carries echoes of both reverence and superstition, intertwined. Like a palimpsest, the image retains vestiges of ancient meanings, layered with the anxieties of changing times. It resurfaces, a familiar yet alien form, tapping into our collective memory and stirring subconscious associations.