Quarrel
1815
Known as the 'Raphael of Cats,' Swiss artist Gottfried Mind had an uncanny ability to capture feline personality, likely because he found animals easier to deal with than people. In this charming 1815 sketch titled 'Zank' (German for 'Quarrel'), a grey tabby sits upright, hissing at a calico companion who is crouching low in a defensive posture. The soft, textured strokes bring the cats' fur to life, making you almost hear the scuffle. Mind created some of the most empathetic animal portraits of the Romantic era, proving that a hissing match can be high art.
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