Illustration for the Poem ‘Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat’
date: label: Date
content: 1753
name: label: Author
content: Thomas Gray, British, 1716 – 1771
label: Artist
content: Richard Bentley, British, 1708 – 1782
label: Publisher
content: James Dodlsey, British, 1724 – 1797
notes: label: Catalogue Status
content: Research in Progress
label: Description
content: Full-page illustration for the poem ‘Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat’. A cat stands on the rim of a tub drinking the water within an interior with a cabinet to the right. The scene is framed by a male and female herm pilaster on either side. Above the architectural frame is decorated with scrolls, acanthus leaves, and a floral and fretwork pattern, with a central cat mascaron, a mouse, two incense burners, a garland of flowers and draped fabric. Above the frame, a cage, two vases of flowers and a cat under pagoda structures on each end. The cat on the left is dressed in chinoiserie costume, holding a fishing rod, with a large vase underneath, with water pouring in from a shell suspended above. The cat on the right holds a large fishing net draped into a vase below. Below the frame, is a trophy of a lyre and a palette with paintbrushes, ornamented with ribbon, shell, and acanthus leaf motifs. The poet’s initials are lettered on the lyre and the artists initials on the palette. With text lettered on the ribbon below. Above the trophy four mice look into the interior scene.
place: label: made in
content: England
label: published in
content: London, United Kingdom
setName: label: See more items in
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
label: See more items in
content: Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 1921-6-550-5
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Bound print
label: Type
content: Bound print
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Etching on laid paper
label: Dimensions
content: Sheet: 37.3 × 26.5 cm (14 11/16 × 10 7/16 in.)
label: Dimensions
content: Platemark: 26.8 × 21.3 cm (10 9/16 × 8 3/8 in.)
label: Dimensions
content: Image: 24.9 × 19.4 cm (9 13/16 × 7 5/8 in.)