Domestic Scene - Annam (1930)
11:19:00Domestic Scene - Annam
To Ngoc Van
Domestic Scene - Annam
To Ngoc Van
1930, oil on canvas. 81 x 100,5 cm.
Paris, Musée du Quai Branly.
© ADAGP / Hervé Lewandowski
To Ngoc Van (1906 – 1954) was a painter, a writer and an art critic, who also participated in the Indochina war and gave the other soldiers drawing classes as a form of resistance. He died of his wounds after the Dien Bien Phu battle.
In the clammy atmosphere of this painting, the cat shield itself from the presumed heat by standing in the cool shade of the wall. Just like in most paintings, the cat is an observer – reminding men that their actions are being closely watched and studied by the extraordinarily intelligent feline. For instance, why is the man to the left eating a flower? We are as confused as the cat…
Nguồn: Universal Museum of Art -
Cats and Kittens are very ” in ” right now, and their softness is plastered throughout advertising and imagery on the Internet, moving audiences worldwide. In Western societies, so many homes are cat households nowadays. In France, the feline population supposedly exceeds 10 million cats ! But were cats always this appreciated ? They’re sociable, chill-natured and cuddly during the day, but the small felines turn into merciless, independent predators at night. Over the centuries, this dual identity is what made cats be worshipped at times, and hated at others. As part of a home, cats aroused painters and sculptors’ interests, even if their discrete and quiet presence might make them stand out less compared to their other rivals, dogs and horses. They’re almost considered members of the family, enough at least to take up a special place in all their masters’ portraits. But can we really say that cats have ” masters ” ? These elegant creatures don’t let themselves be dominated, and rather seem to choose their companions themselves.
© NATHALIE GATHELIER
To Ngoc Van
1930, oil on canvas. 81 x 100,5 cm.
Paris, Musée du Quai Branly.
© ADAGP / Hervé Lewandowski
To Ngoc Van (1906 – 1954) was a painter, a writer and an art critic, who also participated in the Indochina war and gave the other soldiers drawing classes as a form of resistance. He died of his wounds after the Dien Bien Phu battle.
In the clammy atmosphere of this painting, the cat shield itself from the presumed heat by standing in the cool shade of the wall. Just like in most paintings, the cat is an observer – reminding men that their actions are being closely watched and studied by the extraordinarily intelligent feline. For instance, why is the man to the left eating a flower? We are as confused as the cat…
Nguồn: Universal Museum of Art -
CATS IN ART HISTORY
Cats and Kittens are very ” in ” right now, and their softness is plastered throughout advertising and imagery on the Internet, moving audiences worldwide. In Western societies, so many homes are cat households nowadays. In France, the feline population supposedly exceeds 10 million cats ! But were cats always this appreciated ? They’re sociable, chill-natured and cuddly during the day, but the small felines turn into merciless, independent predators at night. Over the centuries, this dual identity is what made cats be worshipped at times, and hated at others. As part of a home, cats aroused painters and sculptors’ interests, even if their discrete and quiet presence might make them stand out less compared to their other rivals, dogs and horses. They’re almost considered members of the family, enough at least to take up a special place in all their masters’ portraits. But can we really say that cats have ” masters ” ? These elegant creatures don’t let themselves be dominated, and rather seem to choose their companions themselves.
© NATHALIE GATHELIER
Paris : Exposition Peintures des lointains au Musée du Quai Branly
Frédéric Bodin, jeudi 29 novembre 2018
0 comments: