Katten 1845

This undated print, “Katten,” was made by Jan Schuitemaker as part of a children’s magazine featuring natural history. Arranged in a grid, the prints depict scenes of cats in domestic settings. What strikes me is how these images subtly reinforce societal norms and power dynamics through the figure of the cat. Look at the minstrel show: a Black figure conducts an orchestra of cats. In Schuitemaker’s work, the representation of the racialized figure evokes the history of blackface performances and the exploitation of African American culture. This imagery speaks to broader themes of race and representation embedded in 19th-century popular culture. Even though we are looking at prints of cats, the issue of human exploitation lingers. Ultimately, “Katten” is both a window into the past and an unsettling reminder of the ways in which cultural biases can be perpetuated.