Cat fight 1940

Tsuguharu Foujita made this painting of cats, well, fighting cats, in 1940. The painting is really interesting because it feels both very flat and very dynamic at the same time. Foujita uses a kind of creamy, muted palette, mostly tans and whites, which gives it this almost dreamlike quality. But then, look closer, and you see these fierce little brushstrokes, especially around the cats' faces, that just explode with energy. You can almost hear the hissing and yowling! There's one cat, near the bottom left, all curled up with its tail swishing around – you can feel the tension in its body, like a coiled spring. It’s a really amazing balancing act between calmness and chaos. Foujita has echoes of artists like Balthus, who had a knack for capturing animals in these uncanny, emotionally charged moments. It reminds us that art doesn’t need to shout to be heard, it can whisper, too – or, in this case, maybe just hiss a little.