Watching the prey 

Henriëtte Ronner-Knip painted these kittens, probably in the Netherlands, sometime in the mid-to-late 19th century. At this time, the Dutch middle classes had begun to accumulate more wealth than previous generations, and were keen to display their social status through art. While history painting had previously been seen as the most prestigious genre, there was now a growing market for genre scenes and animal paintings that displayed domestic contentment. Ronner-Knip was a specialist in the latter, achieving international fame for her sentimental depictions of cats. Consider how the items that surround these creatures – the books, papers and inkwell – suggest a comfortable, bourgeois interior. Ronner-Knip was not alone in creating images of domestic animals at this time, but it is worth asking why these kinds of images were so popular. What was the public role of art in the Netherlands at this time? And how did institutions such as the art market shape artistic production? These are just some of the questions that the social historian of art might ask.