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The Milwaukee Art Museum has a collection of work by a group called “The Eight”, here profiled by the Journal Sentinel’s Mary Louise Schumacher, who doesn’t smile for her picture, no doubt, because serious art people don’t see anything to be smiling about.
One of the artists is Everett Shinn and he painted an “Early Morning, Paris” in 1901 and it has a cat in it, so there you go, that makes it good art in my opinion.
Today, we have a painting from 1912 by Russian painter Natalya Goncharova called “Rabbi With Cat” and there’s a lot more going on there than it looks. The poetry is from Christopher Smart, an 18th century English poet with a life every bit as tragic as the life of the rabbi in the painting.
from Jubilate Agno
by Christopher Smart
For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way.
For this is done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.
For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.
For he rolls upon prank to work it in.
For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself.
For this he performs in ten degrees.
For first he looks upon his forepaws to see if they are clean.
For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there.
For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the forepaws extended.
For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.
For fifthly he washes himself.
For sixthly he rolls upon wash.
For seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be interrupted upon the beat.
For eighthly he rubs himself against a post.
For ninthly he looks up for his instructions.
For tenthly he goes in quest of food.
For having consider’d God and himself he will consider his neighbour.
For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness.
For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it a chance.
For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying.
For when his day’s work is done his business more properly begins.
For he keeps the Lord’s watch in the night against the adversary.
For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes.
For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life.
For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him.
For he is of the tribe of Tiger.
For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel Tiger.
For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which in goodness he suppresses.
For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed, neither will he spit without provocation.
For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells him he’s a good Cat.
For he is an instrument for the children to learn benevolence upon.
For every house is incomplete without him and a blessing is lacking in the spirit.
For the Lord commanded Moses concerning the cats at the departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt.
For every family had one cat at least in the bag.
For the English Cats are the best in Europe.
For he is the cleanest in the use of his forepaws of any quadruped.
For the dexterity of his defence is an instance of the love of God to him exceedingly.
For he is the quickest to his mark of any creature.
For he is tenacious of his point.
For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery.
For he knows that God is his Saviour.
For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.
For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion.
For he is of the Lord’s poor and so indeed is he called by benevolence perpetually—Poor Jeoffry! poor Jeoffry! the rat has bit thy throat.
For I bless the name of the Lord Jesus that Jeoffry is better.
For the divine spirit comes about his body to sustain it in complete cat.
For his tongue is exceeding pure so that it has in purity what it wants in music.
For he is docile and can learn certain things.
For he can set up with gravity which is patience upon approbation.
For he can fetch and carry, which is patience in employment.
For he can jump over a stick which is patience upon proof positive.
For he can spraggle upon waggle at the word of command.
For he can jump from an eminence into his master’s bosom.
For he can catch the cork and toss it again.
For he is hated by the hypocrite and miser.
For the former is afraid of detection.
For the latter refuses the charge.
For he camels his back to bear the first notion of business.
For he is good to think on, if a man would express himself neatly.
For he made a great figure in Egypt for his signal services.
For he killed the Ichneumon-rat very pernicious by land.
For his ears are so acute that they sting again.
For from this proceeds the passing quickness of his attention.
For by stroking of him I have found out electricity.
For I perceived God’s light about him both wax and fire.
For the Electrical fire is the spiritual substance, which God sends from heaven to sustain the bodies both of man and beast.
For God has blessed him in the variety of his movements.
For, tho he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer.
For his motions upon the face of the earth are more than any other quadruped.
For he can tread to all the measures upon the music.
For he can swim for life.
For he can creep.
RICHARD VAUGHAN TO HIS CAT
( A Welsh Cavalier Ballad)
MOST gentle of the long-tailed gentry,
Since here, a kitten, you made entry,
So far your walks have chiefly been
Between the kitchen and the pantry.
Your claws are keenly pointed, pussy,
Your eyes are green, your whiskers glossy ;
Soft-footed on your prey you pounce,
You little, light-limbed, bouncing hussy.
No fowler with his hedgerow nettings
Can, beat you at your feathered gettings ;
And well with clever paw you fish,
Though little wish have you for wettings.
There’s no immediate need for knowing
To whose good beard a lick is owing,
But at that beard don’t take a turn
Down by Ydernion thickly flowing.
Stop playing, pussy, with that tassel !
And promise, like a royal vassal,
To be my messenger afar
Unto the lord of Harlech Castle.
Off then at once, or I must chide you,
And for your first night go and bide you,
With her, the widow fair and sweet,
Who at Rhiwgoch will greet and hide you.
When milk enow for satisfying
Your needs the dame hath done supplying,
Upon the morrow from Rhiwgoch
For Cwm y Moch afar go flying.
Once there, of every sound well mind you,
Look sharp around, before, behind you,
And from each mortal that you meet
Seek safe retreat, till darkness find you.
When sunshine on your path is sweeping,
Across the pools go bravely leaping ;
Then sate your hunger round the rocks
Upon the flocks of field-mice creeping.
When near at hand, with care exceeding,
Through briars and furze that set men bleeding,
Past Carnialwin’s stone-marked end
On to the mill, my friend, go speeding.
There you shall see before you frowning
Gwalia’s high Keep the great crag crowning ;
Then take one last impetuous leap
O’er the moat’s deep, nor fear for drowning.
Via Rachel Lucas:
Alvin was Ma’s favorite cat. Hell, he we everybody’s favorite cat.
Alvin
Popular Science says it’s OK if Watson and I share his bowl of Science Diet Light. Mmmm, taurine.
It was a sign I saw on Bluemound in front of a restaurant. I was in a rush so I couldn’t stop to photograph it. It took a minute for me to realize that they were advertising for a pre-play dinner. I think.
Cats wouldn’t like busses. They’re too loud. Not to mention how difficult a dinner for cats would be on the waitress: “I like Star Kist, not Chicken of the Sea. And not from the gold can. The blue can. And at 4:00. Not 4:01 or 4:05 or I won’t eat it.” I don’t get the impression cats are big tippers either.
46 seconds of your life you will never get back.
Control the high ground
Disrupt supply lines
Naval Operations
Special Ops
22 Me not the noise of brawling pleasure cheers,
In nightly revels or in city streets;
But joys which soothe, and not distract the ears,
That one at leisure meets
In the green woods, and meadows summer-shorn,
Or fields, where bee-fly greets
The ear with mellow horn.
50 There ruminating ‘neath some pleasant bush,
On sweet silk grass I stretch me at mine ease,
Where I can pillow on the yielding rush;
And, acting as I please,
Drop into pleasant dreams; or musing lie,
Mark the wind-shaken trees,
And cloud-betravelled sky.
64 There I can live, and at my leisure seek
Joys far from cold restraints–not fearing pride–
Free as the winds, that breathe upon my cheek
Rude health, so long denied.
Here poor Integrity can sit at ease,
And list self-satisfied
The song of honey-bees.
- John Clare (1793-1864)
The Chicago Tribune’s free paper RedEye is running a Chicago’s Most Beautiful Cat contest. Here are the 32 finalists.
This was my previous cat Al/Alvin/Albert. He went by all three. He was a gift. Note the box he came in.
