White Cat 

Mark Rothko made this painting of a ‘White Cat’ with watercolors on paper, but we’re not sure exactly when. The artist is far better known for the large abstract canvases he produced later in life. But this work gives us a glimpse of the kind of social pressures that might have shaped his early artistic development. Cats appear frequently in painting, but especially in the work of women artists. In the late 19th century, it was considered more acceptable for women to paint domestic scenes than to engage with grand historical subjects. So, in representing this ‘White Cat,’ perhaps Rothko was trying to align himself with progressive female artists, such as Suzanne Valadon. Alternatively, was it an exercise set by a teacher at art school? To learn more, we might look at student records or exhibition catalogues to understand how the art world encouraged or discouraged artists to paint certain subjects. Art gains meaning through its historical context.