Kat liggend op de zij, de linkervoorpoot uitgestrekt 1646 - 1672

Editor: This is Adriaen van de Velde’s "Cat lying on its side, the left front paw stretched out", made sometime between 1646 and 1672. It's an oil painting currently held in the Rijksmuseum. I’m really struck by how realistic and tender it feels. What’s your perspective? Curator: Well, it’s interesting to consider why this genre scene, an intimate animal portrait, would resonate during the Dutch Golden Age. This era valued depictions of everyday life. Did the rise of a merchant class allow for more domestic comfort and change the social dynamic of humans with their pets? Did a shift occur away from symbolic associations towards valuing animals for their companionship? Editor: That’s a great point! I hadn't thought about the social implications of painting a domestic animal. Curator: This seemingly simple portrait also invites consideration about access. Oil paint was expensive, as was the artist’s time. Who commissioned this work, and why? Was it simply an indulgence, or did the patron wish to make a statement about their lifestyle? These paintings offer insights into not just how people saw the world but how they wished to be seen by others. Editor: So, this isn't just about a cat; it’s also about wealth, status, and a changing society reflected through art? Curator: Precisely! This one image encapsulates shifting societal values and perhaps the evolution of human-animal relationships during the 17th century. We have to ask if paintings of domestic animals normalize, aestheticize, or sentimentalize the role of non-human animals, which is a very modern, yet appropriate discussion. Editor: That's given me so much to think about – thanks! It makes me see the painting with new eyes! Curator: And hopefully it invites you to think about the context in which all artworks were and are produced.