19th Century Folk-Art Portrait of a Cat Dated 1892

Description: For those of us who are especially fond of cats, we know that a good cat portrait is difficult to come by. For some reason, capturing the personality and facial details of this magical and delightful creature is an art that not many artists have been able to. Luckily for us, this charming portrait of a dark, striped tabby cat has everything we want to see and feel. It is evident that the cat pictured knew the artist. I don’t think just any cat would allow a complete stranger to get this close and sit long enough for a portrait.The cat’s fur was painted mainly in broad brush strokes, with much attention given to the eyes, nose and mouth. It is wearing a collar that is fastened at one end with a yellow bow. Our feline is lying upon a small ottoman or footstool with pink gathered fabric around it. The background was left vague as in the case for most folk-art paintings.This is a marvelous and charming rendition of a pet cat doing what cats do most of the time. It was painted on canvas laid down on a board.It is signed, A. Dickenson, on the lower right with the date ‘92 (for 1892). Arthur Dickenson, listed in “A Catalogue of Birmingham & West Midlands Painters of the Nineteenth Century,” lived near the Shropshire area with the famous 1,300-foot hill called The Wrekin from which he sent some paintings to the Royal Academy. There are many stories and fables associated with The Wrekin, mainly involving giants, devils and even a mermaid.The piece was framed in a period bird’s eye maple frame with a narrow, gilded slip.The condition is very good for an antique painting of this type. It has some natural separation of the pigment in both the cat and in the background. There is some evidence that the canvas was not pressed completely flat onto the board, especially along the top, resulting in a rippling effect. The antique maple frame has some small losses of veneer here and there. However, these losses do not detract from the overall charm of the piece.It measures 25-¼ inches wide by 21-¾ inches high, including the frame. Personal and cashier’s checks also accepted. Please contact for international shipping rates, as well as to Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories. Perry-Joyce Fine Arts Expertise in 18th and 19th Century Needlework, British Paintings, and 19th Century Decorative Arts with over 40 Years’ Experience

Price: 1750 USD

Location: Sawyer, Michigan

End Time: 2024-09-04T20:02:53.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD