 |
| On Mona Lisa's lap |
It was love at first sight with Zarathustra, the chubby
red cat that appears in countless masterpieces
throughout the history of art ”to pep 'em up!” as
Russian visual artist Svetlana Petrova declares
introducing her fave model. ”Our name is Zarathustra.
We are a cat. According to our assistant (named by
ignoramuses as our 'owner') we are the best cat in
the world...” Zarathustra's fb fan page reads ”...and
we are also very very fond of Art. Our passion is to sit
for the great artists. Only great artists can
appreciate our generous body and sublime soul”.
red cat that appears in countless masterpieces
throughout the history of art ”to pep 'em up!” as
Russian visual artist Svetlana Petrova declares
introducing her fave model. ”Our name is Zarathustra.
We are a cat. According to our assistant (named by
ignoramuses as our 'owner') we are the best cat in
the world...” Zarathustra's fb fan page reads ”...and
we are also very very fond of Art. Our passion is to sit
for the great artists. Only great artists can
appreciate our generous body and sublime soul”.
The St. Petersburg-based photographer made the
decision to Photoshop™ Zarathustra into a painting,
Rembrandt's Danae, just to see how it would look:
needless to say the result was astounding so she
started her ”Great Artists' Mews” online project
that obviously became a sensation.
decision to Photoshop™ Zarathustra into a painting,
Rembrandt's Danae, just to see how it would look:
needless to say the result was astounding so she
started her ”Great Artists' Mews” online project
that obviously became a sensation.
 |
| above: posing as Rembrandt's Danae below: reclined like Manet's Olympia |
The artist's muse is a natural born plus model who
loves to eat shrimps, to evaluate the right size of
lobsters as well as to take on different listless poses
like all cats do (without looking so coquettishly
feminine, though). Svetlana started taking pictures
of her tubby cat with several paintings in mind yet
her double work - first behind the camera, then in
digital retouching - it's not easy at all and as she
points out ”sometimes it takes months to take the
right photo” for her gorgeous series of cat-enhanced
paintings. You may think this is art for 'mewseums'
only, but I really like it. Besides, finally I know
loves to eat shrimps, to evaluate the right size of
lobsters as well as to take on different listless poses
like all cats do (without looking so coquettishly
feminine, though). Svetlana started taking pictures
of her tubby cat with several paintings in mind yet
her double work - first behind the camera, then in
digital retouching - it's not easy at all and as she
points out ”sometimes it takes months to take the
right photo” for her gorgeous series of cat-enhanced
paintings. You may think this is art for 'mewseums'
only, but I really like it. Besides, finally I know
why Leonardo's Mona Lisa is smiling!
 |
| measuring a lobster in Willem Claesz's Heda (part.) all artworks © by Svetlana Petrova/Fat Cat Art |