THE CAT IN ART iii 



is all. Another minute, and she will settle softly 

 down again upon her cushions. She is not in the 

 least disturbed. 



The same spirit of unconcern distinguishes Saint 

 Ann's cat, who, keeping close to her mistress, 

 affects no interest in anything beyond her own 

 comfort and convenience. Among the frescoes by 

 Puccio, in the choir of the Orvieto Cathedral, are 

 two which represent respectively the vision of Saint 

 Ann, and the birth of the Blessed Virgin. In the 

 first, the Saint is accompanied by a very fine white 

 cat, who, with back high arched and tail erect, 

 drives from the room a meek, intruding dog. In 

 the second, the same pussy stands on her hind-legs, 

 and, profiting by the concentration of everybody's 

 attention upon the new-born baby, helps herself 

 with cool audacity from a little table which has 

 been neatly spread by the bedside. In the Oratorio 

 of Saint Bernardino at Sienna there is a charm- 

 ing treatment of the same subject ; and here Saint 

 Ann's cat is coal-black, with gleaming yellow eyes. 

 She looks intelligent, but unamiable, and watches 

 with grave attention the bustling maids who, pleased 

 and smiling, bathe the pretty child. 



The picture which of all others, however, best 

 illustrates the temper of the cat, as the Italians 

 knew her two hundred years ago, and as we know 

 her to-day, was painted by Luca Giordano, and 



