Qing Dynasty artist paints portrait of his pet cat

The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) artist Wang Shishen (汪士慎, 1686—1759) painted a portrait of his pet, a fluffy cat, crouching on a rock. He affectionately disclosed in the self-inscription on the top left corner of the scroll that the cat was as small as a fist when first brought home. He loved it so much that he would budget to regularly buy fish for it. The cat was vigilant enough that it would catch mice to help its master sleep soundly.

Wang was one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou (扬州八怪）, a group of painting and calligraphy artists active in Yangzhou between the 17th and late 18th century. The painting is now in the permanent collection of the Shanghai Museum.