The Cat

A charming gift book, celebrating the cats in Tate's collection

Following Tate’s publication Love, this new selection of works showcases the most endearing, quirky, and amusing depictions of cats drawn from Tate’s collection. Divided into key themes—“Snap Cat,” “Cats on Laps,” “Fierce Felines,” “Scratchy Sketches,” “Painterly Paws,” and “Prints and Pawings”—this little book considers how cats have been revered in culture and have influenced artists over the centuries. Works of art—including paintings, drawings, sculptures, illustrations, and installations—are introduced by a brief introduction text adding background detail or additional information about the art, artists, and their subjects. Featured artists include: Prunella Clough, John Craxton, Sunil Gupta, Édouard Manet, Bernard Leach, David Hockney, William Blake, Andy Warhol, and Alex Katz. Sometimes traditional, sometimes contemporary, often touching and occasionally telling, placed together these beautiful images create a fascinating and enlightening journey through the visual portrayal of cats in Western art.