Celebrating The Cat In Art
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Portrayals of Felines In Art, Religion, and Prose
The Origin of Art Featuring Cats
Mankind has had a close relationship with cats as old as civilization. Our history with felines stretches back over 9,500 years. Domestic cats have played a role in many areas of cultural significance. They have always been a popular subject of art and literature.The exact history of our origins together with cats is still not known, however, a gravesite discovered in Cyprus , dating from 7500 BC, contains the skeletons of a ceremonially buried human and a type of young cat. Since cats are not native to Cyprus, cats must have been domesticated at least by this period.
Vikings used cats to catch rats and as favored pets.
In ancient Egypt cats were also useful for keeping down mouse and rat populations and were elevated to the status of favored by the gods. The goddess Bast was usually portrayed in feline form.
Sacred Bast, Protector of Bubastis
Statuette of the Goddess Bastet
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In Egyptian mythology, Bast (also spelled Ubasti, BasetBadawi, Cherine. Footprint Egypt. Footprint Travel Guides, 2004., and later Bastet) is an ancient solar and war goddess, worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty. In the late dynasties, the priests of Amun began to call her Bastet, a repetitive and diminutive form after her role in the pantheon became diminished as Sekhmet, a similar lioness war deity, became more dominant in the unified culture of Lower and Upper Egypt. In the Middle Kingdom, the cat appeared as Bastet's sacred animal and after the New Kingdom she was depicted with a woman with a cat's head carrying a sacred rattle and a box or basket.Bastet Egyptian Museum
Bast or Bastet was the cat goddess and local deity of the town of Bubastis (Per-Bast in Egyptian), where her cult was centered. Bubastis was named after her. Originally she was viewed as the protector goddess of Lower Egypt, and consequently depicted as a fierce lioness. Indeed, her name means (female) devourer. As protector, she was seen as defender of the pharaoh, and consequently of the later chief male deity, Ra, who was a solar deity also, gaining her the titles Lady of Flame and Eye of Ra.
The goddess Bast was sometimes depicted holding a ceremonial sistrum in one hand and an aegis in the other ? the aegis usually resembling a collar or gorget embellished with a lioness head.
Bast was a goddess of the sun throughout most of Ancient Egyptian history, but later when she was changed into a cat goddess rather than a lion, she was changed to a goddess of the moon by Greeks occupying Ancient Egypt toward the end of its civilization. In Greek mythology, Bast is also known as Aelurus.
Historical Cats
- Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo DaVinci
Feline Studies
Gustave Klimt and his cat, Milia
Gustav Klimt Adored His Feline Friend
Klimt And His Cat
Amazon Price: $14.04 (as of 07/10/2009)
Thomas Gainsborough
Studies of a Cat
Arsty Cats
PurrPrints
Aubrey Beardsley
Feline Prose
Famous Literature With Cats
"Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by TS Elliot"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Cat Who Walked By Himself" by Rudyard Kipling
"Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" by Lewis Carrol
"Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
"Grimbold's Other World" by Nicholas Stuart Gray
"Ginger and Pickles" by Beatrix Potter
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
"The Cat In The Hat" by Dr. Seuss
The "Cat Who" Series by Lillian Jackson Braun
"Legendarium" by JRR Tolkien
"Pet Cemetery" by Stephen King
Literary Felines
Cats, Montage
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Pierre Auguste Renoir
Stage and Screen
Cats in Modern Film and Theater
Halle Berry as Catwoman
Zen Breeze Cats
Zen Cat Large Framed Print
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Siamese Cat, Koi and Turtle (Pk of 10)
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Zen Cats Women's Plus Size Scoop Neck Dark T-Shirt
Price: 27.99
Cats Watching The Faucet
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Admit It. You Love Cats.
Paul Gaugin
Tip Jar For The Humane Society
The Humane Society of the United States seeks a humane and sustainable world for all animals-a world that will also benefit people. We are America's mainstream force against cruelty, exploitation and neglect, as well as the most trusted voice extolling th
Cat's Chorus
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More Squidoo For Cat Lovers
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Cleopatra the great deaf kitten
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The Power of Lions
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ROAR! Lions are majestic and noble big cats who enchant all who view them. Celebrated as Kings of the Jungle, living in Prides, guarding palaces, temples, and libraries the world over, mankind has always revered this awesome feline.
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What In The World Is A Serval?
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Silently hidden in the tall grass, a serval stalks it's prey. Listening for the faintest rustle of tiny feet, the cat suddenly leaps straight up in to the air and snatches a song bird in mid-flight instead of the rodent it was listening for. Every da...
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The Wild Animal Sanctuary
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Saving One Animal May Not Change The World But Surely, For That One Animal... The World Will Change Forever! The Wild Animal Sanctuary provides a safe haven for wild animals rescued from private owners, abusive situations, and others who would other...
Detail of Siamese Cat in ...
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Cats - More Popular Now Than Ever!
- Cat Facts
- Just a cool page with interesting facts and trivia about cats.
- LOLcats
- By popular request. Iz can laff wiff u 2?
- The ULTIMATE Cat Art Page
- Just click the link - if you love cats, and you love art, you won't be disappointed.
Tell Me About Your Feline Friend
Kitsune64 wrote...
This is a beautiful lens. The history of cats in art was a nice touch, and some great choices on the posters - although I have to admit, the Cat Chorus kinda freaks me out! 5*, and lensrolled to my lens on my cat, Yoda.
Posted November 14, 2008
MrsZ wrote...
What an interesting lens! Informative and fun! wonderful 'cat art'...5*s!
Posted November 09, 2008
bobzbazzar wrote...
Hi Christie
Another Good Lens, How do you keep coming up with the ideas.
I have a few Comical Pics of cats if you would like them just drop me a message ad they will be yours.
Regards Bob
Posted October 30, 2008
Portable_eBay wrote...
I prefer dogs over cats... but if the cat has blue eye... hmmmm
Posted October 28, 2008
In Memory of Curry
