Five artists who masterfully draw cats. A sad story about an artist who painted cats. Kitten made from circles.

10.07.2019

It's the most luxurious month outside, and that's why we've put together a big and fluffy March post.
All over our vast Earth, in every country, even the smallest, many artists are terribly fond of cats.

They are touched by their habits, expressions on their faces and eyes. They lose their vigilance. And cats, playing on feelings, quietly and mercilessly steal hearts. Forever.

But you can enjoy beautiful works of art, imbued with love for these cunning faces.
We have collected the fluffiest warm collection of paintings from artists with different corners a world whose hearts have been stolen by cats.

Rihards Donskis, artist from Latvia

Rihards Donskis is an artist from Latvia who works under the name Apofiss. Richard creates atmospheric, slightly mystical illustrations where the cutest cats reign. Tender little eyes with a piercing expression on their faces win the love of the viewer at first sight.

Englishwoman Kim Haskins

Artist Kim Haskins was born in England. Kim mostly works acrylic paints on cardboard or canvas. Her shaggy multi-colored cats with round eyes invariably cause wide smiles. It is impossible to forget these cute striped bunches. Kim's cats easily, even too easily, steal the hearts of many who look at them.

American artist Joy Campbell

American illustrator Joy Campbell lives in Winlock, Washington. He has been painting for over 30 years. Now he works in oil, and, of course, his favorite theme of the canvases is cats. Her cats are happy with life and self-sufficient. They lounge on sofas and tables, playfully look into people's eyes and completely control people's hearts.

Lithuanian artist Norville

Lithuanian artist Norvile (Norvile Dovidonyte, Nora) is the owner of the red-haired mastermind of Elvis. She loves to draw cats and create an inexhaustible source of Have a good mood and a kind smile. Nora creates a cozy simple life, conveys the funny habits of cute animals. She has long and tenderly been in love with cats.

Vladimir Rumyantsev, artist from St. Petersburg

Vladimir Rumyantsev is a member of the St. Petersburg Union of Artists and the St. Petersburg Society of Watercolorists. He is a member of the Russian Union of Artists. His works are in museum collections Russia, as well as in private collections in Germany, USA, Great Britain, Finland and Sweden. His cats are romantic. They see angels, love flowers and the lyrical city on the Neva.

Japanese artist Makoto Muramatsu

Japanese artist Makoto Muramatsu creates incredible tenderness. Cute, velvet cats stole his heart long ago. And now they are stealing the hearts and souls of everyone who stops to admire the incredible cuteness of Makoto’s cats. Muramatsu tenderly describes each cute face and admires his soft pets. Romantic from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Moskvich Stepan Kashirin

Kashirin Stepan Vladimirovich was born in Moscow. He is a member of the UNESCO Federation of Artists. On his canvases, cats live like fluffy, warm people. They drive cars, have get-togethers, and have weddings. Stepan creates life situations, filled with understandable and kind humor. Funny emotions are written on the faces of his cats.

Russian Valery Khlebnikov

Khlebnikov Valery Ivanovich was born in the city Vyshny Volochek Tver region. Now lives in the Moscow region. Already in three years old little Valera drew the first picture. And it was, of course, a cat. His cats are like heavy, gentle giants. It's great to cuddle with such a cat and not have to worry about anything. Valery's works are full of humor, kindness and warmth.

Vladimir Stakheev, born in Leningrad

The painter Vladimir Yuryevich Stakheev was born in Leningrad. I have been involved in illustration for many years. The cats from his graphic series are very elegant, emotional and beautiful. Their faces convey feelings so clearly that the cats’ thoughts can be read. Cats are angry, curious, surprised, want something, are afraid of something. They are endowed with a bright character.

Vasya Lozhkin from Solnechnogorsk

Vasya Lozhkin was born in Russia, in the city of Solnechnogorsk. He draws with inimitable humor, conveying the emotions of his ginger cats. Although, as he himself jokingly admits, he doesn’t know how to draw. Vasya also admits that his paintings are actually fairy tales with good ending. So there is hope that there will still be enough sausage for everyone.

Sad story about the artist who painted cats">

A sad story about an artist who painted cats

Matroskin, Lepold, a kitten named Woof - all these cats, so beloved by us, owe their humanoid appearance to Louis William Wayne. It was this English artist who was the first to endow cats with human behavior and emotions.

Louis Wayne (1860-1939) had a cat, Peter, or more precisely, Peter the Great, named after our Emperor Peter the Great. Louis trained the cat to sit in front of a book with glasses on, as if he were reading, and to follow other simple commands. Louis did all this to entertain his wife, who was dying of cancer.

The miracle did not happen: the young woman died. But during this period, Louis made a lot of sketches of the cat, which became the basis for his future popularity. Starting at the age of 23, he painted almost only cats. At that time they did not yet walk on two legs and did not have human traits faces, but a start had been made. Louis's drawings began to be published in books and magazines.

For us, as fans of cartoons, what is more interesting is that period of Louis Wayne’s work, which can be called “the erect cat.” It started in last decade nineteenth century. Since then, the artist’s popularity has constantly grown; he painted up to six hundred cats a year.

Not every modern photographer can boast of such productivity, but Louis didn’t just press a button, but created masterpieces with pencil and brushes. He designed books, his illustrations were published in magazines, and he even made his own collection, “The Louis Wayne Yearbook.”

Solution English post office, which in 1902 allowed the image to be printed on one side of postcards, can be called an epoch-making event for cat lovers. Here Louis turned around completely. Postcards with his cats were popular then, but now they have become an object of hunting for collectors. Currently, their cost can be measured in tens of thousands of dollars.

Louis William Wayne's cats walk on their hind legs, wear suits, smoke, play musical instruments. In general, they lead a normal social life.

“I take my sketchbook to a restaurant or any other busy place and just draw people in their usual cat poses, giving them as human features as possible. This gives my work a dual nature, and I consider them my best jokes.”

Louis Wayne not only painted cats, but also tried to help them. He was a member of all kinds of charitable societies that protect these tabby furries and even became president of the English National Cat Club.

But the artist’s life was not always joyful and cloudless. Louis was pathologically gullible and extremely imprudent. In the tenth years of the last century, he found himself on the brink of poverty, having invested all his money in some murky undertaking. In addition, Louis began to develop schizophrenia.

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It's the most luxurious month outside, and therefore AdMe.ru I put together a big and fluffy March post.
All over our vast Earth, in every country, even the smallest, many artists are terribly fond of cats. They are touched by their habits, expressions on their faces and eyes. They lose their vigilance. And cats, playing on feelings, quietly and mercilessly steal hearts. Forever.

But you can enjoy beautiful works of art, imbued with love for these cunning faces.
AdMe.ru I have collected the most fluffy, warm collection of paintings from artists from different parts of the world, whose hearts have been stolen by cats.

Englishwoman Kim Haskins

Artist Kim Haskins was born in England. Kim primarily works with acrylic paints on cardboard or canvas. Her shaggy multi-colored cats with round eyes always bring wide smiles. It is impossible to forget these cute striped bunches. Kim's cats easily, even too easily, steal the hearts of many who look at them.

American artist Joy Campbell

Rihards Donskis, artist from Latvia

Lithuanian artist Norville

Lithuanian artist Norvile (Norvile Dovidonyte, Nora) is the owner of the red-haired inspiration of Elvis. She loves to draw cats and create an inexhaustible source of good mood and kind smile. Nora creates a cozy, simple life, conveys the funny habits of cute animals. She has long and tenderly been in love with cats.

Vladimir Rumyantsev, artist from St. Petersburg

Vladimir Rumyantsev is a member of the St. Petersburg Union of Artists and the St. Petersburg Society of Watercolorists. He is a member of the Russian Union of Artists. His works are in museum collections in Russia, as well as in private collections in Germany, the USA, Great Britain, Finland and Sweden. His cats are romantic. They see angels, love flowers and the lyrical city on the Neva.

Japanese artist Makoto Muramatsu

Moskvich Stepan Kashirin

Kashirin Stepan Vladimirovich was born in Moscow. He is a member of the UNESCO Federation of Artists. On his canvases, cats live like fluffy, warm people. They drive cars, have get-togethers, and have weddings. Stepan creates life situations filled with understandable and kind humor. Funny emotions are written on the faces of his cats.

These artists love cats very much, and they also skillfully draw them, often adding funny and life-like captions. Meet us!

1. Russian illustrator Vasya Lozhkin

And according to his passport, Alexey Kudelin was born in the city of Solnechnogorsk. His drawings are distinguished by their inimitable humor and often feature highly social themes. Vasya jokingly admits that his paintings are actually fairy tales with a good ending. So there is hope that global justice will prevail, and there will still be enough sausage for everyone.

Vasya Lozhkin

2. American illustrator Joy Campbell

Joy lives in Washington State and has been drawing cats for over 30 years. Favorite animals in her works are well-fed, well-groomed, happy with life and self-sufficient. They lie on the sofas, fish, eat with pleasure, dress up, study science and cause tenderness.

Joy Campbell

3. Lithuanian artist Nora

Lives in Vilnius with his ginger cat Elvis. It is he who inspires the artist to make funny drawings of cats with their cute habits and cozy life. Nora says that with her paintings she creates an inexhaustible source of smiles and good mood.

Norvile Dovidonyte

4. Russian artist Vladimir Rumyantsev

Vladimir is a member of the Russian Union of Artists. His works are in museum collections in Russia, as well as in private collections in Germany, the USA, Great Britain, Finland and Sweden. His paintings about cats who live in St. Petersburg, like the artist himself, brought him real popularity. His cats are romantics and optimists, they walk on the roofs, sing romances, play golf, go to work and fishing, love flowers and the city on the Neva.

Vladimir Rumyantsev

5. Russian illustrator Bird Born

This young and talented author, working under a pseudonym, gave us the cat Stepan and his charming companion Maria Vasilyevna. The artist takes ideas for drawings from situations, from conversations, in a word, from life. His charming cats talk about love and friendship, relationships with each other and their parents, food and weather, cities and stereotypes. And they bring a smile to everyone who sees them.

Bird Born

Bird Born The artist who only painted cats

10 facts about Henrietta Ronner-Kniep, whose cats helped her win the love of European monarchs and feed her large family

The artist had no other teachers except her father

Henrietta Kniep ( Henriette Ronner-Knip, 1821 - 1909) was born in Amsterdam. Her father Joseph August Kniep was an artist who painted city views and battle scenes. He began to pass on his craft to his daughter as soon as she reached the age of six: the fact is that already at the age of five she tried to copy his work. By this time, her father had already begun to lose his sight, so Henrietta had to not only study, but also help him: after all, the family’s income depended on how many paintings he painted and what quality.

By the age of 16, Henrietta had succeeded so much that she not only participated in an exhibition, but also sold her painting there - there was a cat in the painting, but the artist would continue to experiment with themes and characters for a long time.

Henrietta never studied at any academies.

Everyone in her family were artists

Pauline Riefer de Courcelles' mother specialized in painting birds. Aunt Henrietta Gertrude Kniep (our heroine was named after her) painted lush floral bouquets. And my paternal grandfather was also an artist.

At first she preferred to portray dogs

Henrietta Ronner-Kniep took on any orders, and at one time her frequent clients were poor merchants who transported their goods in small carts drawn by dogs. Very quickly, such paintings from Ronner-Knip became a trend among merchants - and everyone considered it their duty to order portraits of their helper dogs. Later, wealthy customers also came along - the nobility also wanted to portrait their dogs.

In 1876, Ronner-Kniep painted the favorite dogs of the Queen of the Netherlands - the talented artist immediately became popular with monarchs from other countries. European countries: she is commissioned to paint with her favorites by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Edinburgh...

Cats came into the artist’s life when she was already over 50

In the 1870s, Maltese lap dogs were replaced by seals in decent homes: now it became fashionable to keep them. Henrietta Ronner-Kniep also got herself cats: especially since the children grew up (two also became artists), and she wanted to take care of someone. The artist becomes a cat lover - for the next 30 years, until the end of her life, she will paint only cats, watching their games, admiring their poses and, judging by the paintings, allowing them absolutely everything.

She animated the cats

Henrietta Ronner-Kniep's cats don't wear clothes and don't go to work. But she is considered one of the artists with whom the fashion for anthroporism in animal painting began: animals began to be depicted as similar to people - with complex emotions, characters, and a deep, meaningful look.

The subjects of Henrietta Ronner-Kniep's cat portraits are real individuals.

And it's not just the eyes, but also the subjects and titles of paintings

The titles of Henrietta Ronner-Kniep’s paintings add “humanity” to her furry heroes: it seems that people should act in subjects with such titles, but no.

Her painting has changed greatly throughout her career

Of course, Henriette Ronner-Kniep did not take important place in the history of painting, you will not find her name in textbooks - among those who changed the visual language, said a new word, invented their own inimitable style. But this does not change the fact that she was a popular, obviously talented artist and, even after finding her main subject, she continued to experiment with style. It is enough to compare two paintings by Henriette Ronner-Kniep to see the journey she has taken. At the very beginning she paints pictures in the spirit of old Dutch masters: dark background, smooth, neat strokes. And her last works- this is straight up impressionism: bright hues, textured dynamic stroke.

The artist's career lasted more than 70 years

She lived for 87 years, worked until the end, and, as we know, from the age of 16 she painted paintings for sale.

She was active, hardworking, but she was not a feminist

And all because of cats. Here's how Philip Hook, author of Breakfast at Sotheby's, explains why women's rights activists won't make an icon out of Henrietta Ronner-Kniep:

She specialized in depicting cats and kittens, often naughty: playing with balls of wool, turning over jugs of milk in the interiors of rich bourgeois living rooms, similar to those in which admiring buyers of her works lived. Madame Ronner-Kniep will never become a feminist icon. The reason is that it too easily found its place in the existing social order and painted pictures on subjects that did not in any way threaten the dominance of men.

Her paintings sold well during her lifetime and today cost tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

She was always the breadwinner. First in her parents’ family: as soon as her father finally lost his sight, Henrietta herself carried out all the orders: landscapes, genre scenes, portraits... Then she will get married, move with her husband to Brussels, give birth to six children - and will again earn money for everyone: no, no, the marriage was happy, but the husband was sick all the time. Fortunately, there were always enough orders: many wanted to see sentimental scenes with animals performed by Ronner-Kniep in their living rooms. Many people want them now - and pay a lot of money for them at auctions.

Illustrations: the-athenaeum.org, sothebys.com, christies.com, artuk.org