Hello everyone and welcome to another Blogvent! Turns out I've been doing annual nonsense since 2011 (as some of you will know as you have been here with me, for which I apologise) and I was wondering what to do this year. I don't know about you chaps, but here in Chez Walker, 2024 has been a a bit of a sod, so I think some prime silliness is in order, so welcome to Catvent...
Woman in the 1930s, with cats that are undoubtedly planning her demise,
especially the one on the bottom left
That is a terrible title, but a couple of years ago I did Dogvent, in honor of our lovely dog Blossom (now 12 years old and still going strong) and as our pets have been a source of great comfort to us this year, I thought I ought to balance the scales and do likewise for the glorious Chairman Meow (who I named on a whim and I'm sorry he has got a more sensible name) (like Cat Boone) who is my treasure, even when he brings me live rats as presents. So thoughtful.
Without further ado, today's inaugural Catvent image is this one...
Blinking in the Sun (1881) Ralph Hedley
I'm starting off strong with an absolutely delightful painting of a tabby sat on a window sill, soaking up the rays. He is indeed a handsome fellow (and looks a bit like the Chairman - as do 99% of cats in the UK, if I'm honest) but let's start with what is around him. To the right is a very ornate pale blue china pot with a tulip growing out of it (I can't imagine it is meant to be in water as there is just the one and it has leaves which would make the water manky). On the other side are a very vigorous-looking geranium and a hyacinth, both in plainer terracotta pots. If we go by the language of flowers (as I often do) the red tulip is a declaration of love, which is nice, and also means fame, so I think we can tell the standing of this cat in the family. The red geranium means comfort (and also stupidity, but I don't want to offend him) and the white hyacinth means unobtrusive love. I'm not suggesting this painting is a master class in the language of flowers, but as such knowledge was commonplace in the nineteenth century, it might have been just the positive messages of the flowers that the artist needed. Even more likely, those are the flowers that were around the Hedley home and chosen for their aesthetic appeal. I am curious that the flowers on the left of the picture are scented and the tulip in its ornate pot is merely decorative. I wonder if that is a comment on our furry friend? Is he both decorative and functional? I also note that two out of the three are poisonous to cats so no doubt he'll be eating them later, like the poor cat the Chairman and I met at the vet who had launched himself at a pot of lilies and was in the midst of very expensive treatment. He looked like he regretted nothing.
A Sign of Bad Weather
Our tabby friend here appears in others of Hedley's paintings, so I am persuaded that he is one of the family's cats. His likeness can be seen in A Sign of Bad Weather, An Old Couple Sitting by a Fire and others. Blinking in the Sun is undoubtedly Hedley's best known work, gracing the walls of the Laing Art Gallery where I am assuming it is very popular, as you can get some smashing merchandise with it on. As images of cats go, this one is both straightforward and very beautiful. Not only that, it is one we as viewers can identify with. Which of us, on a warm Spring day, haven't taken an indulgent moment to soak up the sun, too bright to look out into but so deliciously warm. As the days get colder and darker (and undoubtedly wetter) this image looks peaceful and a lovely glimpse of the Spring that will come next year.
Self Portrait (1895)
Ralph Hedley is an underrated painter, his works still either in private hands or held in his native North-East (his family moved to Newcastle from Yorkshire when he was a baby). I wonder if the problems we discussed last year about artists existing outside London being underestimated are at play here. It seems very likely that if Blinking in the Sun was owned by a national museum such as Tate Britain or the V&A, it would be even better known (and exploited), but the North East gets a lacklustre level of national coverage, despite the absolutely stellar collections it has. There was a surprising lack of newspaper coverage of his art in his lifetime too, again because of the London bias, which is depressing. However, I can see a time when Blinking in the Sun is included in a retrospective exhibition of his work as who could resist that fluffy cat?
Enjoy the sunshine if you have it and I'll see you tomorrow.