to view the art, go to:
https://mymodernmet.com/cats-in-medieval-art/

Look at How Cats Were Portrayed in Medieval Art
By Margherita Cole on October 31, 2022

Cats in Medieval Art
Art has changed a great deal over the past centuries. By looking back at
different art movements, we can see the evolution of different
aesthetics and approaches to painting, sculpture, and other media. But
while creative styles have shifted over time, the interest in certain
subjects has remained the same for most artists. Case in point: cats
have had a storied relationship in art that stretches all the way back
to ancient Egypt.

From domestic cats to cheetahs, tigers, and lions—depictions of felines
can be found across cultures and time periods. The ancient Egyptians saw
cats as sacred animals and incorporated their likeness into relief
carvings, papyrus paintings, and tomb decorations. During the Middle
Ages, however, the Catholic Church had a less favorable view of cats,
due to their association with paganism and witchcraft. As a result, cats
were warded off from cities and even tortured.

Despite their bad reputation, cats were still part of Medieval life in
Europe—mostly providing pest control for urban centers—and they
permeated much of the art created during this period. However, these
portrayals aren't known for their accuracy. Instead, paintings of cats
in Medieval art are known for their humorously strange appearances,
which is perhaps tied to their poor standing in European society in the
Middle Ages. These illustrations vary from kitties with human-like faces
to cats walking on their hindlegs to lions that don't look very catlike
at all.

Scroll down to see these funny depictions of cats in Medieval art.

Cats in Medieval Art

DEPICTIONS OF DOMESTIC CATS

PAINTINGS OF LIONS

Watch this video to learn more about the tradition of cats in Medieval art:

h/t: [Open Culture]

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Shining a Light on the Beautiful Illuminated Manuscripts of the Medieval
Period

6 European Cities From Medieval Times That Are So Well-Preserved You Can
Still Visit Them Today

MARGHERITA COLE
Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and
illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History
with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in
Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She
wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw
cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that
was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
Read all posts from Margherita Cole