Liegender weiblicher Akt mit Katze 

Otto Scholderer rendered this reclining nude with charcoal, and in her company, we find a feline familiar. The cat, a symbol rich with cultural baggage, often dances between the sacred and the profane. In ancient Egypt, cats were revered, embodying grace, protection, and even divinity, linked to goddesses like Bastet. Yet, fast forward through the medieval ages, and we see the cat demonized, associated with witchcraft and the occult. Here, the cat sits almost as a guardian, a silent witness to the woman’s repose, evoking a sense of enigmatic intimacy. This cat, much like those we see in Renaissance depictions of Venus, adds layers of meaning, intertwining themes of sensuality and mystery. This duality evokes a primordial tension between the visible and invisible, reminding us of the subconscious forces that shape our perceptions.