Cat Catching an Insect
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A plump gray tabby clamps its jaws around a grasshopper mid-leap. The cat looks way too pleased with itself. Its fur bristles in short, sharp strokes that catch the light. Koryûsai usually drew kimono-clad women, but here he shows off quick animal sketches. The grasshopper’s legs still twitch under the cat’s paw—ugly but alive. This isn’t the final print. It’s a working drawing copied by hand before a woodblock was cut. Find more animal studies by Isoda Koryusai.
