Artwork
Cat and Kittens
Cat and Kittens is an oil painting. It dates from 1878 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is an oil painting executed on millboard, depicting three domestic cats arranged on a wooden floor.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a domestic scene featuring a mother cat with her kittens, categorized as a genre scene by an American artist from the 19th century.
The painting depicts a domestic scene featuring a mother cat with her kittens, categorized as a genre scene by an American artist from the 19th century. Created in 1877, the work focuses on the intimate interaction between the adult feline and her young offspring within a household setting. While the visual subject is the natural behavior of the animals, the classification as a genre scene suggests an interest in everyday life and familial bonds typical of the period's artistic output.
The piece captures a quiet moment of maternal care without explicit allegorical markers detailed in the available records.
Technique & Style
Created in 1877, Cat and Kittens is an oil painting executed on a millboard support. The work measures 30 cm in height and 34.9 cm in width. Classified as a genre scene, the piece reflects the stylistic conventions of an anonymous American artist active during the 19th century.
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., holds the painting, which was originally recorded as originating from Connecticut before entering the museum's collection.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1877 by an unidentified American artist of the 19th century.
Its early provenance traces to Connecticut, though no further details about the first owners or exhibition history before the 20th century are recorded. In 1948, the work was acquired by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. They later donated it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 1958.
The painting Cat and Kittens is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the museum's holdings in 1958 as a gift from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who had originally purchased the work in 1948. Prior to its acquisition by the Garbisches, the piece was recorded as being from Connecticut. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they document any exhibition history for the work.
Overview
The work is an oil painting executed on millboard, depicting three domestic cats arranged on a wooden floor. The central figure is the largest cat, its coat a blend of brown, black and white, flanked by two kittens, one curled up before it and another clutching a small toy mouse attached to a string. A red yarn ball rests nearby, while a simple curtain forms the backdrop.
Context
Created on millboard, a support favored for its smooth surface and affordability, the painting reflects a tradition of genre scenes that celebrate ordinary domestic life. The focus on realistic detail and the use of impasto align it with 19th‑century European approaches to animal portraiture, where everyday subjects were rendered with careful observation.
Artist & collection
