Cat concert

Art Historical Context

**Cat Concert** *Jacques Dassonville, ca. 1640–70* Etching, sheet (trimmed): 3 3/8 × 3 1/16 in. (8.6 × 7.8 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brisbane Dick Fund, 3 Step into the playful world of Jacques Dassonville's *Cat Concert*, a charming etching from the mid-17th century. Created during the Baroque era, this intimate print likely depicts felines gathered in a mock musical performance—a whimsical motif popular in Northern European genre scenes. Dassonville, a lesser-known printmaker active around this time, captures the humor of anthropomorphic animals, turning everyday pets into unlikely virtuosos with fiddles, lutes, and songbooks. Etching's magic shines here: the artist draws directly on a metal plate with a needle, letting acid etch fine, expressive lines for intricate details in fur, instruments, and expressions. This technique, perfected in the 17th century by masters like Rembrandt, made prints affordable and reproducible, spreading lighthearted satire through homes and taverns. At just over three inches tall, its trimmed sheet invites close viewing, revealing the artistry in every whisker. In an age of grand history paintings, *Cat Concert* celebrates the joy of the absurd, reflecting 17th-century fascination with animal antics as social commentary or pure delight. A gem in the Met's Drawings and Prints collection, it reminds us art can purr with mischief! (198 words)