Photo: Cat in the style of Rene Magritte
TweetSometimes life imitates art.
I took this photo as Calvin pranced around the sink in our guest bathroom. After I downloaded it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen something like it somewhere.
And then, with a little help from The Google to jog my memory, I figured it out.
Rene Magritte, surrealist painter.
You might recognize the artist’s work; here is The Son of Man, possibly his most famous painting:
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The Son of Man via Wikipaintings
But what I remembered from an art history class was how Magritte liked to incorporate clouds in his work.
Like this:
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High Society via Wikipaintings
And this:
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Beautiful World via Wikipaintings
Or even this:
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The Connivance via Wikipaintings
But especially this:
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The Looking Glass, via Wikipaintings
Calvin, surreal cat. Yup, sounds about right:
UPDATE 2/8/14
Some folks were wondering how I created this picture. I call it the diamond cutter’s approach to photography. An experienced cutter slices away the parts that contain flaws; the result is a smaller but more valuable stone. I look at my photographs the same way. Once the pictures are on my laptop, I look for the gems hidden within. Then I cut out the distractions so all that’s left is the story I want to tell. Here’s the uncropped original photo below.
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OMC, I love it! Calvin, you are definitely surreal! 🙂
Thanks! But then I think all cats are a little other-worldly. 😀
Love the picture and the mini art lesson.
Thanks. I gotta put that educatin’ to work somehow. Two semesters of art history…applied to a blog about cats and dogs. Yup, sounds about right.
Now now, don’t knock it 🙂
Not knocking it at all. 🙂 Those classes were among my favorites. If I could put them to good use in the interest of cats, all the better. (And thanks for including us in your museum!)
That first picture is just so clever! But I also love the last one with the cat in it looking at the mirror. But it really helps for indoor photos when the home looks nice or interesting in the first place! Vs cluttered. That wallpaper really made that picture for you 😉
The funny thing is, that was the wallpaper in the bathroom when we moved in years ago. Every time I think about removing it, someone says, “Oh I LOVE that paper. Don’t take it down.” And now that I have Calvin in a Magritte-like photo, I’ll never look at that bathroom the same way. ;-D
Totally awesome!!!!! Really great post, photo and art history lesson. What fun.
Thanks! I had fun with that…and it got picked up by the folks at The Pet Musuem.
I love this picture! Awesome! I’m a complete amateur when it comes to editing. This was fun to read about. Loved seeing the original photo too.
Aw, thanks. I’m really good at cropping. Other photoshop tools, not so much.
I am a huge Magritte fan and your photo is marvelous.
Coming from a Magritte fan, that means a lot. Thank you!
This is a fabulishious shot. We too crops to find the jewels!
Love love love it!
Kisses
Nellie
Thank you! I’m going to put “fabulishious” in my dictionary. It is a fabulishious word!
So cool! TW used to have a BF who painted clouds in her bathroom too.