Children with Kittens
Imagine the 19th-century version of a cute cat video: that's exactly what Swiss painter Fritz Zuber-Bühler created here. In a dimly lit barn, a young woman gently holds up a black-and-white kitten for a delighted toddler, while a pile of fluffy siblings plays in the hay below. The dramatic lighting—very popular in Academic art—makes the children's rosy cheeks and the cats' soft fur pop against the dark background. Zuber-Bühler made a career out of these sentimental, idyllic scenes that were designed to make viewers say 'aww' at the innocence of childhood.