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Mother Cat with Kittens
Morris Hirshfield
Photo by Charles Bechtold
© Robert and Gail Rentze…
Mother Cat with Kittens
Mother Cat with Kittens
Morris Hirshfield
Photo by Charles Bechtold
© Robert and Gail Rentze…
Mother Cat with Kittens Morris Hirshfield Photo by Charles Bechtold © Robert and Gail Rentzer for Estate of Morris Hirshfield, licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
© Robert and Gail Rentzer for Estate of Morris Hirshfield, licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Record Details

Mother Cat with Kittens

Artist ((1872–1946))
Date1941
Place/RegionBrooklyn, New York, United States
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions24 × 36"
Credit LineGift of Patricia L. and Maurice C. Thompson Jr. and purchase with funds from the Jean Lipman Fellows, 1998, © Robert and Gail Rentzer for Estate of Morris Hirshfield, licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Accession number1998.5.1
Copyright© Robert and Gail Rentzer for Estate of Morris Hirshfield / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Description

One of Morris Hirshfield's first paintings was Angora Cat (1937–1938), and he painted cats, often in multitudes, several times during his productive years. Featured on couches, on rugs, on grass, and in gardens, the animals stare at the viewer from faces that seem more human than feline. 

In Mother Cat with Kittens four white cats stand or lie on a burgundy rug. The fur, faces, positions, sizes, and tail shapes vary, lending interest and animation to the scene. Curves, multiple textures, and rhythmic patterning prevent stasis in the surrounding areas as well. The wave-shaped rug is enlivened by its dotted pattern, and its thin green-and-white-striped border seems to keep the animals in place. Surrounding the rug is a green background punctuated by painterly yellow slashes that change direction at a central axis. 

Lee Kogan, "Mother Cat with Kittens," in Stacy C. Hollander, American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 376.

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