The Man and the Cat
It was one of the weirdest experiences of Our sitting for the great artists. One day in 1834, in the city of Brugge, the great master Jan van Eyck invited Us to be his Mews. We should sit for him. We found Ourselves in the company of the strangely familiar stranger:
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
This man was very fond of expensive clothes. He put a golden chain on our neck and a fur decorated mantle on our back. The green color of the cloths harmonized perfectly with Our natural coat, this fact diverted Us from the sad thinking about how many animals died for the lining of the mantle. We hope they were mice whom We eat and with whom We are struggling to defend the museums.
The man raised his right hand in the gesture of oath and gave Us his left hand. Giving his left hand meant at that time that he didn’t consider Us an equal person, men often think that cats are inferior to them. Showing all Our good will, We gave him Our both soft honest paws. And We thought deeply: “What will happen to Us?”
Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, familiar faces
We are glad to present to the public the final version of this masterpiece. The first well known version of the paintings depicts a woman near the man. Maybe she was too fond of signs of his wealth, and the man asked the master to paint the sincere and disinterested Cat by his side instead of a material girl.
well-known version
