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Watercolour - Sketch of a seated cat
  • Sketch of a seated cat
    Gwen John, born 1876 - died 1939
  • Enlarge image

Sketch of a seated cat

  • Object:

    Watercolour

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (probably, painted)

  • Date:

    ca. 1920s (painted)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Gwen John, born 1876 - died 1939 (painter (artist))

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Pencil and watercolour

  • Museum number:

    P.15-1946

  • Gallery location:

    Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F, case WD, shelf 38

  • Image in copyright

Gwen John (1876-1939) made several drawings and watercolours of cats. This watercolour is probably the best known of them. Her choice of subject-matter throughout her career remained based on the figure - usually a single figure, and usually a woman in an interior. Just as her watercolours of women are intimate and concentrated, this study similarly captures the remote self-possession and unconcern of the cat.

Physical description

Pencil and watercolour sketch of a seated cat. It is a tabby or tortoise-shell cat with a white front, portrayed in profile, facing away from the viewer and casting a shadow onto the wall behind. The wall is an orange-pink colour and the cat's body, particularly the legs and ears, are roughly outlined in pencil. The painting is stamped with the facsimile signature of Gwen John and is mounted on a card with a gold, red and green-brown trim.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (probably, painted)

Date

ca. 1920s (painted)

Artist/maker

Gwen John, born 1876 - died 1939 (painter (artist))

Materials and Techniques

Pencil and watercolour

Marks and inscriptions

Stamped with facsimile signature 'Gwen John'.

Dimensions

Height: 15.6 cm, Width: 11.8 cm

Object history note

This drawing was included in the Gwen John Memorial Exhibition at Messrs. Matthiesen, Ltd., London, 1946

Descriptive line

Pencil and watercolour sketch of a seated cat by Gwen John. Great Britain, ca. 1920s.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Engraving Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1946. London: Published under the Authority of the Ministry of Education, 1949.
The full text of the entry is as follows:

"JOHN, Gwendolen Mary (c.1876-1939)

Sketch of a seated cat.
Stamped with facsimile signature Gwen Jown.
Pencil and water-colour. 61/8 X 45/8 P.15-1946

Note: This drawing was included in the Gwen John Memorial Exhibition at Messrs. Matthiesen, Ltd., London, 1946."

Materials

Paper; Pencil; Watercolour

Techniques

Drawing; Watercolour

Subjects depicted

Cat

Categories

Drawings; Paintings

Collection code

PDP

Qr_O14954
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