Cat Seen from Behind 1887 - 1892

Curator: Looking at Kawabata Gyokushō's "Cat Seen from Behind," made between 1887 and 1892, currently residing here at the Met, what captures your eye? It’s an ink and watercolor piece, quite minimal in its approach. Editor: Well, the first thing I notice is this arresting sense of feline drama, somehow captured simply through the cat's posture and the texture of the ink wash. It's incredibly evocative. Curator: Indeed. Consider the materiality; Gyokushō wasn’t necessarily trying to capture some inherent essence of “catness,” but was instead exploring what he could achieve through specific manipulations of ink and brush on paper. The social context of Ukiyo-e printmaking also likely influenced his process – the repetition, the flat planes, and the elegant linework are a continuation of its influence. Editor: I agree, and it's more than just the materials. Look at how Gyokushō presents this cat. From behind, yes, but with ears perked, maybe alert or irritated; those subtle clues give it character. In many cultures, the cat is a multifaceted symbol, a blend of independence, domesticity, and perhaps even a touch of the uncanny. It mirrors those symbols, doesn’t it? Curator: Precisely, and that tension inherent to the work stems from Gyokushō embracing traditional techniques and familiar subject matter while subverting expectations through his abstraction and composition. His materials, in other words, are vehicles for a broader engagement with both his cultural lineage and his artistic peers. We should remember he worked in a quickly industrializing Meiji-era Japan and he needed to decide if he would hold on to tradition, or move ahead to more modern approaches. Editor: A tension well-wrought. This single feline form manages to reflect this turning point between Japanese tradition and rapid modernization! Curator: It speaks volumes about the changing artistic landscape, even through something seemingly as simple as a cat’s back. A great thing to think about next time you are looking at "Cat Seen from Behind." Editor: Absolutely. An image to linger over.