Salomon “Sal” Meijer (1877-1965, Dutch) at The Great Cat

Salomon “Sal” Meijer (1877-1965, Dutch)

Salomon “Sal” Meijer (1877-1965, Dutch) was the son of Jewish diamond cutters and, as a young man worked in the family’s business while studying art. By 1914, he had started to concentrate only on his art. In 1926, he gave his first exhibition. Meijer survived the Nazi invasion and occupation of the Netherlands during WWII through his marriage to a non-Jew. However, he was banned from exhibiting his art during this time.

Meijer’s naïve/primitive style evokes a pleasant simplicity. His cats are captured in typical cat attitudes, mostly sleeping or sitting. All are depicted as contented. Almost all are facing straight forward with an intent gaze with rarely any embellishments such as toys or other cats. With the publication of a book of his cat paintings in 1990, Sal Meier: Raphael der Katten, he was given the title originally associated with the German 18^th century cat artist Gottfried Mind.

Sal Meijer’s works are on view at the Jewish Historical Museum and the Kattenkabinet in Amsterdam. His paintings have been sold at auction for as much as @$65,000.00.

Cat on a Rug

Cat on a Chair

Cat Sitting on a Bed

Cat with a Telephone

1909 Sal Meijer Foreign Content 48 x 45 cm Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

Foreign Content, 1909

Cat on a Balcony, 1919

Playful Cat in a Basket, 1925

Cat Drinking from a Faucet

Cat in a Basket

Cat in a Wastepaper Basket

Cat on a Carpet

Cat on a Chair

Cat with Dutch Tiles

Cat with Two Kittens

Little Kitten

Poes met twee jongen (Cat with two kittens)

White Cat

Sleeping White Cat

Tabby Cat on Red

Tabby Cat Portrait

Tabby Cat

White Cat Head

White Cat on Blue Pillow

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