Wild Cat 1893 - 1896

Wilhelm Kuhnert made this painting of a Wild Cat, likely in Germany, toward the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century. Note the power of this animal, painted at a time when the European powers were colonizing Africa. Perhaps the image of the wild cat carrying its prey in its mouth alludes to the Western European powers asserting themselves. The cat's piercing eyes stare straight ahead, as if it is aware of its own strength and superiority. The fact that it is carrying a smaller, weaker animal reinforces this image. The painting itself seems to reflect a social Darwinist view, suggesting that only the strong survive. What is the public role of art if not to comment on and challenge the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shape artistic production? Understanding art requires that we look to outside resources to provide context. Only with research can we understand the artwork as something that is contingent on social and institutional context.