Artists Who Turn Artwork Into Sneaky Ones

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, has housed 70 cats that look after works of art for several years. Three people, in turn, are dedicated body and soul to taking care of them. But recently, these cats have turned into something more than just guardians.

Eldar Zakirov, a Russian artist, has the desire to mold the faces of cats in famous works of art, creating innovative and pioneering works. Do you want to know this story?

The artist who transforms works of art into sneaky works

The drawings of these cats are a representation of the work of Russian painters from past centuries.

The artist draws the kittens in period costumes. He has studied traditional garments in depth so that even the smallest of details are in harmony with the era to which the painting belongs. Among them are some of the most famous tsars in history.

Zakirov has a lot of respect for the cat’s face and features. In this way, it allows all of them to be faithfully portrayed in their works of art. Among Zakirov’s paintings are “The Hermitage Court Chamberlain” and “The Hermitage Carrier Driver”.

These cats have lived in the museum since Tsar Peter I the Great brought a Dutch cat to the palace. His daughter Isabel was enchanted by the animal’s beauty and sent for the best and biggest cats from Kazan. They would be responsible for keeping the building and rooms free from rats and other rodents.

Over time, these cats stopped hunting rats and became a tourist attraction at the museum. The animals are known to everyone and the museum staff care for,  feed, play and even look for foster families for them.

With Kazirov’s artworks, the Hermitage cats are already famous throughout Russia. And not just for living in the museum. Now, even as the centuries pass, everyone will remember them.

Other Artists Who Transformed Works of Art

Zakirov wasn’t the only one to turn well-known works of art into sneaky ones. Svetlana Petrova has a cat named Zarathustra and decided to elevate her love by “infiltrating” the feline in works of art as well-known as the Mona Lisa.

When asked what motivated her to do something similar, the artist said that after her mother’s death, she decided to adopt her cat. Zarathustra reminds her of her mother and having to take care of him helped her to overcome her grief in a lighter way.

Svetlana is a professional artist and was immersed in Marc the Cat’s project. This cat served as a model on a tour across Europe. It was then that a friend asked her why she didn’t try to do something like the cat himself, Zarathustra, who is chubby, funny and friendly.

That’s how the idea came about. First, she began to imitate a Dutch painting movement, the still life, with food photo shoots. I then placed Zarathustra on the images using Photoshop.

Afterwards, the artist decided to repeat the process with better known works of art. When her family, friends and other gallery owners saw her new work, Svetlana realized that she had done quality work. Although people’s first reaction is laughter, the artist seeks to make everyone aware of the original works.

I hope that this initiative from Russia serves as an inspiration and that many other artists do the same, helping to increase the love for art and, at the same time, for animals.