Artist Inserts Cats Into Famous Classical Paintings, And The World Is Right Again

Artist Inserts Cats Into Famous Classical Paintings, And The World Is Right Again

Stop everything you're doing and gaze upon the masterpieces of Susan Herbert, a woman with as fine taste in felines as classical art.

cats
The Golden Stairs, after Sir Edward Burne-Jones (see the original here). Photo credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.

Herbert is the hilarious genius behind "Pre-Raphaelite Cats," a compendium of famous artworks -- think Henri Rousseau's 1890 self-portrait or Renoir's "La Loge" -- that have been invaded by sophisticated kitties. She paints the copies, but instead of reproducing the fictional men and women that populate recognizable works of art, she inserts well-dressed tabbies and calicos. Kudos, Susan, this is one of the best cat mashups we've seen yet.

"Pre-Raphaelite" cats has recently been turned into a beautiful art book, due out this month courtesy of Thames & Hudson. The homage to contemporary cat obsession amounts to 64 pages of vintage feline fascination. It would make Grumpy Cat, Henri, le Chat Noir and Lil' Bub proud.

Mariana, after Sir john Everett Millais (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
Monna Vanna, after Dante Gabriel Rossetti (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
Princes in the Tower, after Sir John Everett Millais (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
The Light of the Worlds, after William Holman Hunt (see original painting here). Photo credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
Psyche, after John William Waterhouse (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
The Black Brunswicker, after Sir John Everett Millais (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
La Ghirlandata, after Dante Gabriel Rossetti (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
Medea, after Frederick Sandys (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
Musica (Melody), after Kate Elizabeth Bunce (see original painting here). Image credit: By Susan Herbert. Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.

For more viewing pleasure, there's an entire Susan Herbert Pinterest page filled with cats at garden parties, cats at ballet class and highly decorated cats who are military heroes. And if that doesn't keep you entertained, this previous post on the Lolcats of the 19th century probably will. Enjoy.

|
Close

What's Hot