Six Studies of Cats in Various Poses
Domestic cats sitting, crouching, curled, and grooming, in pen and ink
The sheet is filled with six pen-and-ink studies of cats observed in different attitudes: an upright seated cat whose long tail curls forward, a crouching cat seen from behind, a fluffy cat facing the viewer, a cat twisting to wash itself, and two reclining cats at the foot of the page. The animals are rendered with rapid parallel hatching that conveys their soft fur and rounded bodies. No text accompanies the drawings.
On this page
Seated and crouching cats (upper register)
In the top row a cat sits upright with its long tail sweeping forward, while a companion crouches low with its head turned back over its shoulder. The poses capture the flexible spine and alert posture of the animals, drawn with quick contour and hatching.
Grooming and sleeping cats (lower registers)
Lower on the sheet a cat curls tightly to lick its flank and others lie down at rest, studies of the animals relaxed and self-absorbed. Dense parallel hatching models the rounded masses of their bodies and thick fur.