Fat Cat Art: All Masterpieces Should Include a Cat, and Now They Do

Neither I nor my dogs and cats were compensated in any way for this post. We were given an advance copy of the book to review. All opinions are mine, although the dogs and cats may have provided some commentary as I wrote. 

Not only are my creative pets poets, crafting Haiku by Cat and Haiku by Dog, they are also fans of the visual arts,  sometimes showing their appreciation of the great works by recreating them in their own fashion.

Like Athena here, channeling her inner odalisque.

Cat imitating art

“Draw me like one of your French…cats?”

Or Calvin as gargoyle.

Cat imitating art gargoyle

Catgoyle?

Of course, I’m a fan of the arts as well, and often write about topics that are near and dear to my my heart: dogs or cats (or both) and art. For example, I was thrilled to get a behind-the-scenes tour of  The Dog Show, an art exhibition at the Morris Museum here in New Jersey, and my geek side was totally engaged by the Chrome extension that replaces the boring old tab with cat-related images from New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Fat Cat Art is now available in book form

It should be no surprise that I leapt at the opportunity to get a sneak peak at Fat Cat Art: Famous Masterpieces Improved by a Ginger Cat with Attitude, a book by Svetlana Petrova and her ginger tabby Zarathustra, in which the rather rotund kitty is artfully added to some of the most famous paintings, etchings, sculptures and other familiar works you’d find hanging in the Met, the Louvre or the Hermitage.

The works (which can also be found on their website Fat Cat Art) are collaborations between Svetlana and Zarathustra, who loves the attention, and enjoys being a model and a muse. As would be true of any exhibition cat-alog (I dare anyone not to appreciate that purr-fect pun) each piece is accompanied by text offering context and hiss-tory.

A Sniff Inside Fat Cat Art

Here are some of my favorites:

I’ve always loved impressionist art, and would love to dive into any of Claude Monet’s water lily paintings. (It’s a goal of mine to visit his garden in France.) Here Zarathustra gets into the picture; he’s one cool cat.

Fat Cat Art Claude Monet's Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies

Fish hunting? Frog Hunting? (From Claude Monet’s Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies). All works shown here by permission of Svetlana and Zarathustra.

Cats melt, bend and pour. Thus they seem purr-fectly at home in a Salvador Dali painting.

Salvador Dali The Persistence of Memory fat cat art

(From Salvador Dali The Persistence of Memory) Maybe it should be purr-sistance?

So much mystery surrounds the smile on the face of Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. I think we’re ready for the truth; who wouldn’t smile like that if you had a purring cat on your lap?

Leonardo da Vinci Mona Lisa fat cat art

The secret to the Mona Lisa’s smile; she had a cat in her lap. (From Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa )

The book goes on sale this Tuesday. It would make a great gift for any of your art- and cat-loving friends.

Want to know more? Read my exclusive interview with Zarathustra.

Win a copy of Fat Cat Art book or one of Svetlana and Zarathustra’s Fat Cat Prints

Svetlana and Zarathustra have generously offered to provide two books and two prints to four lucky winners.

The prints are either the Mona Lisa shown above or the ever-popular American Gothic:

American Gothic Fat Cat Art

I think Zarathustra can haz cheezburger. (From American Gothic by Grant Wood.)

 

Giveaway for Fat Cat Art book

Congratulations to the winners!

  • Book: Sierra K., Megan C.
  • American Gothic print: Paul G.
  • Mona Lisa print: Angelika A.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
What famous painting do you think your pet would fit in? You may also like:

 Sweepstakes can also be found on the following sites:

Today we’re participating in the Monday Mischief Blog Hop. Stop by and visit some of the other blogs below. MondayMischief  



34 Comments on "Fat Cat Art: All Masterpieces Should Include a Cat, and Now They Do"

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  1. meowmeowmans says:

    Athena and Calvin, your interpretations of those works of art are fabulous! 🙂

    We have this wonderful book already. Whoever wins it will LOVE it. 🙂

  2. meowmeowmans says:

    Since we have the book, we’d choose a print if we won. “Mona Lisa” makes us laugh each time we look at it, so we’d choose that. 🙂

    Thanks, pals!

  3. easy rider says:

    I agree, it makes art interesting :o) I specially love thze waterlily garden artwork :o)

  4. Earl Lover says:

    BOL! How cute and funny! 🙂

  5. This is just too funny! It took awhile for mom to figure out what was going on though. Her first love of art were the French posters with le chat. She’s been to France and where all the painters hung out, she loves art and museums. Also, she LOVES fat cats but knows they shouldn’t be. Mom doesn’t know why she isn’t getting your emails because she is subscribed. Love Dolly PeeS: Thinking of you today on our walk as my friend Otto’s mom just found out she probably has Lyme Disease.

  6. jan says:

    Those are wonderful. It shows you can improve a masterpiece with a cat. I will always think of Mona Lisa with a cat on her lap.

  7. Those paintings made me laugh! The cheeseburger was a nice touch.

  8. Athena looks fab!!! We entered! This book looks so great.

  9. Life imitating art? Hmmmm, I am not sure what art pieces my pups would be in.

  10. Paul says:

    Would really love the American Gothic fat cat print xxx

  11. Rebecca says:

    I would like a copy of the book!

  12. Luisa says:

    Awesome giveaway! I hope I get the Mona Lisa print!

  13. good luck to all who enter! We ADORE that book and reviewed it a month or so ago…whomever wins sure will be lucky!
    catchatwithcarenandcody

  14. Scott Poston says:

    The Mona Lisa is hilarious! What a fun idea.

  15. Angelica says:

    These are so cool! I would rather have the book because I want to see what else is in it!

  16. Jill H says:

    The book, please

  17. Liberty says:

    I would be happy with either of the prizes so no preference 🙂

  18. Kathryn Morse says:

    I would love the book!!

  19. No, no, NO! Don’t make me choose! But if I must, I would love to have the Mona Lisa print. I have a lifetime affinity with her. And, I’m a graduate of art, so I’m going to have to get this book as well. Thanks for the opportunity!

  20. Robin says:

    I think that a big orange kitty is the perfect addition to the Mona Lisa! He looks great in all of the other pieces too. Adding cats to life just makes it all better and this is proof.

  21. I love this cat so much!!

  22. We would love a copy of the book if we win!

  23. Jennifer H. says:

    I would like a print.

  24. lanae says:

    I would love the Mona Lisa print :]

  25. Foto Kucing says:

    I love that Mona lisa art. Now I know why shes smiling. I mean almost smiling..

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