A Cat as a Muse: How Felines Inspire Art, Photography, and Writing

This story was written by Quinn Nissen, Quinn beautifully captures the way cats inspire creativity, from childhood doodles to artistic masterpieces, proving that felines have been muses for centuries.

A Cat as a Muse

The first framed picture I ever owned was a picture of my grandma’s cat Alvin. That sweet-chubby cat in the frame of flower petals may have been my favorite part about visiting my grandmother. Before starting middle school, my mother gave me her old phone. I immediately ran out of phone storage when I realized I could use the phone’s camera to capture an entire mood in one shot. I had photos of my cat, Princess Leia, in every disposition, resulting in needing a whole Instagram account dedicated to pictures of her. My childhood notebooks were sprinkled with doodles of demon cats; jagged lines were drawn with pen, and a red marker for the eyes and the blood dripping from the teeth. Paints allowed for blending to create more whimsical cats (on purpose or not many still looked like demons).

“Do you see the look on my cat’s face? Don’t touch her right now, she will try and kill you,” I said to Daniel who was seeking attention from Princess Leia. He speaks to her in Italian’ he says it suits cats. “She was just rubbing against my leg a minute ago. You have the most bipolar cat I have ever met.” It’s true. She comes to sit on his lap giving Daniel the idea that he can pet her. He puts his hand down on her and she lets out a striking raspy-broken noise. Then a minute later her purr-motor starts, and Leia begins head-bonking his hand. Daniel asks, “What do I do?”

Grinning Cat

1478- Lines are rough, looks as if Megenberg was drawing frantically. The cat’s back is arched, its eyes wide, and teeth bared. The dark outlines of the cat don’t match the colored filling, as if no outline could tame the scribbles. Hair stands up on the back of the cat. Its tail is crooked, ears bent back. Words I am unable to decipher surround the drawing of the cat.

Leia successfully attempts to be endearing by tucking her head under her paws and rolling over. All day her main task is grooming herself to keep her fur pure white. Leia always finds the spots where the sun hits her. She shows the benefit of keeping her fur so clean when sunshine makes her fur glow. She glances into the light making her blue-green eyes sparkle while her chest is puffed out.

A Barber’s Shop with Monkeys and Cats

1647- Abraham Teniers takes a realistic approach to this painting. A painting that as a child would have dragged me into its fantasy world, because it looks like it could be a world. In the center, a cat stares at himself in a mirror as he is groomed by two monkeys. Another cat sits in a chair to the left of the first, a monkey washes its face. A rag is in the hand of a monkey and appears to be cleaning a gold surface. Another hides in a shadowy corner watching the cats be groomed. Other smaller monkeys stay crouched to the floor, seemingly picking up scraps. A finely dressed lady cat is peeking through the door about to enter. The lady cat wears a hat that seeks attention and a dress of bright red.

Princess Leia prefers to sit somewhere high up. Often looking down at everyone else around her. Walking through my kitchen, it is not uncommon to find her perched on top of the cabinets staring down at you. When I try to touch her for either pets or to bring her down, she flings back and raises her paw. Her eyes squint and I swear she looks offended. Ashley brought her dog, a Terrier-Pitbull mix, into my apartment. Leia’s reaction to her first dog was to pop out of my wardrobe to pounce on the dog’s back.

The Cat’s Lunch

1800- Marguerite Gerard paints this softly, making me feel this should be a painting of a princess. The woman smiles lightly as she holds out a plate for her cat. Her ears are flattened, not seeming to acknowledge anything but her food. The cat is perched upon a velvet pedestal of scarlet with an emerald-colored blanket to sit on. Both colors provide a regal aesthetic. The woman kneels over a dog to feed the cat. Receiving no acknowledgement from the others present; the dog just stares at the cat receiving its meal.

When I moved into my college dorm with Princess Leia in Manhattan, there was another bedroom no one was assigned to, so dorm staff kept it locked. My cat sniffed and scratched at the door at least a few times a day. She looked at the door, looked at me, then gave me a drawn-out meow. Her nostrils flared up and down every time she came near the door. A few weeks into the semester, someone finally moved in. Although she hates new people, my cat could not help exploring her room. Leia had been confined to my single and cramped alley kitchen. The room was a triple with only one person in it, so it doubled her play space. She jumped from bed to bed while attempting to sniff every surface. Her eyes were wide the whole time, especially when she learned she had a new window to look out.

Curiosity

1800s (specific date unknown)- Each hair of the cat’s fur can be seen through Couldery’s painting. A mama with her two kittens has their attention fixed on a green box in the shadows. Their necks stretch so their noses are closer to the box. The cats’ bodies are hunched, paws in a stance where they could launch at a moment’s notice. Ears are facing the box.

There is a stuffed cardinal that my cat carries with her wherever she goes. She often drops it at my feet and bites my ankles until I throw it for her. If I don’t, she uses one claw to throw the bird in the air herself and chase it around. Before I throw it, I pick up the bird and dangle it over her head until she squeaks as fast as a bird chirps. Her eyes follow the bird wherever it goes, rapidly launching her body at it.

The Cat at Play

1860-1878- Ronner-Knip focused on the cute kitten. Butt and tail in the air, with its front paws grabbing a domino. A cigar is burning in the ashtray. The kitten seems to have disrupted the work being done on the human’s table. The kitten’s pink nose points towards the Domino with an eager look in the eyes. The wooden table it plays on has a fine polish with intricate details. A paper is crumpled up behind the kitten.

Every time I went out to smoke a cigarette when I lived in Charlottesville, Virginia, my cat followed me outside. If she didn’t, I would hear her on the other side of the door scraping and whining. Her first few times outside, she would only just sit right by me enjoying the sun beating down on her. She always tried to eat the grass, and I’d have to call her back to my side. As she grew comfortable, Leia began to frolic through the green blades that the sun shined through. When I stood up to leave, she would run as fast as she could back to the door in fear of being left alone outside.

The Bridge

1912- Larsson paints a vibrant outdoor scene that almost looks chalky. A woman sits in front of an easel, appearing to be painting the scene around her. A black cat sits at her side on a green bench where she paints. Trees have loose leaves that hang overhead, and yellow flowers sprout from behind the rocks. Shades of green surround the two.

If I hear a strange noise coming from anywhere in my dorm suite, I yell my cat’s name. She is the only other living creature that resides there, but it was the same at home where I have parents and another cat. My cat’s favorite activity for a long time was knocking over anything with carbonation. Her ears rotated towards the can once she heard the bubbles popping. Then she would tap the tin with her paws while staring at the can with a tilted head. Eventually she would hit the can with force, and I would hear liquid splattering on the floor. Anything on the tables was often ruined. We didn’t buy canned soda for a long time.

Raminou Sitting on a Cloth

1920- Valadon uses many vibrant colors and soft lines to create an almost whimsical scene. An orange cat with a grin sits on top of a mess. His head is held high with his front feet poised together, and his tail wrapped around him. It looks as if drapes have fallen in the background. The cat is perched upon a mangled cloth. Maybe before the moment depicted in this painting, the cloth was folded.

I gave up any serious painting and drawing that I used to do, realizing that I am not equipped for anything that takes prolonged hand-eye coordination. Photography and writing consumed my time instead. Immediately after purchasing my first quality camera, I took a photoshoot of Princess Leia. She lounged on the top of the couch as I bent my body into odd positions to get the perfect frame. Each shot, to me, captured the same essence in ancient paintings of Greek goddesses lounging. This is the third essay I have written about my cat in three months. Her presence is always there through the events of my life, along with being my writing partner. I have found her to be a precise representation of many moods.