Cornelis Raaphorst

Dutch 1875

Cornelis Raaphorst was a Dutch painter of cats and domestic animal scenes. Raaphorst’s reputation is solely based on his adeptness in rendering cats, a subject for which he and other painters across Europe strove to meet a strong demand.

Raaphorst could be seen as a product of the patronage of his time, but no-one can ignore his technical accomplishment in his portrayal of a domestic pet. He gives his cat’s soul, thought, poetry and passion, and endows them with an intellectual life almost like our own. Raaphorst constantly plucks at the sentimental heartstrings of the viewer.

His works can be seen in collections worldwide.