Some works of art are so famous that we recognize them almost instantly. The masterpieces painted by the likes of Van Gogh, Botticelli, Dalí, Vermeer, and Magritte have been admired and analyzed for generations. But artist Svetlana Petrova has found a rather unusual way to make us look at them with fresh eyes: by adding one very large, very orange cat.
Her ongoing project, Fat Cat Art, places her beloved ginger cat, Zarathustra, into iconic paintings and other instantly recognizable works of art. He rarely settles for a discreet appearance in the background, either. More often than not, Zarathustra looks completely convinced that the composition was missing him all along. His poses, expressions, and impressive proportions often interact with the original composition, transforming familiar masterpieces into something ridiculous while still keeping them instantly recognizable. Bored Panda has featured Petrova and her wonderfully chubby muse before. Since then, however, the artist has continued giving Zarathustra new opportunities to leave his mark on art history. We reached out to Petrova once again, and she kindly allowed us to share another fresh selection of her work.
Scroll down to see Zarathustra confidently inserting himself into some of the world’s best-known artworks, and be sure to upvote your favorites. Then tell us in the comments: which masterpiece do you think actually looks better with a cat in it?
#3 “The Kitchen Maid And The Cat”
Original artwork: “The Milkmaid” by Johannes Vermeer
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15points
#4 “A Sunday On La Grande Jatte With A Grand Cat”
Original artwork: “A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat
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14points
#5 “Portrait Of Empress Eugénie, With Her Jewelry Stolen By Cat Burglars In Louvre”
Original artwork: “Portrait Of Empress Eugénie” by Franz Xaver Winterhalter
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14points
#6 “Flaming June, True Version”
Original artwork: “Flaming June” by Sir Frederic Leighton
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14points
#7 “Great Wave Off Cat-Nagawa”
Original artwork: “The Great Wave Of Kanagawa” by Katsushika Hokusai
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14points
#9 “Goundhog Day”
Original artwork: “Bill Murray as Mona Lisa” by Charles McFarlane
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14points
#11 “Young Hare And Wise Cat”
Original artwork: “Young Hare” by Albrecht Dürer
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13points
#12 “Madame X And Monsieur Z”
Original artwork: “Madame X (Portrait of Madame X” by John Singer Sargent
“Two exquisitely fashionable beings. Note how Zarathustra's paw fixes the controversial strap of Madame Pierre Gautreau's dress.”
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12points
#13 “Washington Crossing The Delaware In A Boat Piloted By The Fat Cat”
Original artwork: “Washington Crossing The Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze
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12points
#14 “Whistler's Mother With The Cat”
Original artwork: “Whistler's Mother (Portrait of Artist's Mother)” by James McNeill Whistler
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12points
#15 “Catzilla Pops-Up Under The Mannen Bridge At Fukagawa”
Original artwork: “Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa” by Katsushika Hokusai
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12points