Cat Catching an Insect thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Cat Catching an Insect

Painting
1772-1789 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Koryûsai is best known for his images of beautiful women but here shows his skill at drawing from nature. The smug cat seems to have just clamped its jaws around the unfortunate grasshopper.

This sheet is a copyist's drawing and would have been copied from Koryûsai's original sketches. The copyist's drawing is usually destroyed when the initial printing block is carved. The survival of this work suggests that the design was never realised as a finished print.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCat Catching an Insect (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ink on paper
Brief description
Painting, 'Cat Catching an Insect' by Isoda Koryusai, Japan, 1772-1789
Dimensions
  • Height: 25.7cm
  • Width: 19cm
Style
Object history
Purchased from Mr. Hogitaro Inada, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Koryûsai is best known for his images of beautiful women but here shows his skill at drawing from nature. The smug cat seems to have just clamped its jaws around the unfortunate grasshopper.

This sheet is a copyist's drawing and would have been copied from Koryûsai's original sketches. The copyist's drawing is usually destroyed when the initial printing block is carved. The survival of this work suggests that the design was never realised as a finished print.
Collection
Accession number
E.5102-1910

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Record createdNovember 10, 2006
Record URL
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