Jacobus van Looy (1855- 1930, Dutch) was born in Haarlem, the son of a carpenter but was soon left an orphan due to the early deaths of both of his parents. Later that same orphanage was converted to the Frans Hals Museum. He trained to be a house painter, but was accepted in the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam and started attending drawing classes in 1877. He was able to travel widely initially because he received the Prix de Rome in 1884. In 1913, he returned to live in Amsterdam. Van Looy was also an author and wrote travel books.
Obviously Jacobus van Looy was a cat lover. He has captured his cats in contemplative solitary poses. His painting Dead Cat does not reflect complete lifelessness as does Gericault’s, but instead, depicts the cat as if simply asleep (which his model might have been).
Crouching Cat
1885
Sleeping Cat
White Cat at an Open Window
Black Cat
Dead Cat
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