Decoration for a Plate: A Cat Hunting a Crab 1850 - 1914

Félix Bracquemond made this print, "Decoration for a Plate: A Cat Hunting a Crab," using etching and watercolor. Bracquemond was deeply engaged in the aesthetics of Japonisme, a fascination with Japanese art that swept through Western art circles in the late 19th century. Think about the social context of collecting these types of decorative objects during this period. As global trade routes opened, the middle classes had more access to foreign goods, and with this access came new aesthetic desires. There is an emotional connection to this piece. We are all familiar with the domestic cat. Consider the way it has been represented and its relationship to the other animal it is hunting. Bracquemond was part of a shift towards portraying the natural world with a focus on the everyday rather than the heroic. This print opens a space to reflect on our own relationships with animals.