I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. An interesting book about cats from the view of artists. A great gift for artists and those who love cats as I do.

Cats, cats and cats! This is an adorable book for all ages. Beautiful! It would make a lovely gift for someone. Think along the lines of a coffee table type book that isn't boring! I highly recommend this book for all cat lovers!

I would like to thank Princeton Architectural Press for providing me with a free – temporary – electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley. The decision to read this book is my choice and any reviews given are obligation free.

I have to say I am not that much of an art expert, and I did request to read ‘Artful Cats’ simply for the cat link… I’m really not a cat expert either!

But I am a lover of art, cats, expression and being true to yourself and I feel that ‘Artful Cats’ gives the reader a tiny look into the private world of renowned artists via their shared love of the same. It’s not really a book on art… or cats… It’s a book on how the two topics blend and aid creativity to individuals known for art.

Although this isn’t the sort of book I would normally read, I am proudly eclectic and could see myself enjoying it as a waiting room read… and trust me, I spent a LOT of time in waiting rooms, being a mum of three ND kids. ;-) So what I’m trying to say is that if one of the many waiting rooms I am a regular “waiter” in had ‘Artful Cats’, I would look forward to reading it each time I was there.

Please don’t think this is me dismissing it as a boring book. No, it is an art history book (so to me NEVER boring) but it also comes across as a “Coffee Table” type book. As in, one of those big, beautiful, glossy pictured books found on coffee tables… in waiting rooms. And it is one that would draw me to it time and again to keep reading about the connection between these artists and their cats. So, me calling it a waiting room book was meant as a compliment!

I loved the linked theme of cats and their artists. Sometimes it is a companionship, sometimes it is a muse like relationship. But what I felt the most, from the different stories shared, was that these artists were everyday people too, linked to the rest of us by their fur babies.

And, to be honest, I felt the cats were a cunning way to draw more people in to reading about art, art history, and some of the most talented artists of modern times. So the cats were bait to make more people realise the importance of art, how artists and “us” are connected via our love of cats and so on. If this is the case, I really don’t mind… as I said, I like cats and art. Plus also enjoy learning new things. So, for me, this was a very interesting read. Though, I have to say, it’s not something I could sit down and read from cover to cover in one sitting. I needed to come back to it time and again as a bit of ME time. This, in my busy life, was a good thing to have waiting for me when I was due some ME time. ;-)

To the book nerd side of things, I liked the almost eclectic layout. Although I was reading an electronic version of ‘Artful Cats’ it still had an almost portfolio feel to it… once more bringing a link to art and the artists. But never fear, there is also the more standard book layout also used, when the author talks more about the artists, their art, their cats, etc. It was a good blend, and helped make the book all the more attractive.

Would I recommend this book to others?

Yes I would. What can I say? It’s a book on art, artists, and the linking love of cats. I can’t say people who love cats will, by default, love this book… But those who are cat and art lovers will at least enjoy reading the connected history of the two… if that makes sense?

So yes I would recommend this book to others, but really to those more interested in art than in cats.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Sadly - no. I mean, I don’t regret reading it at all and it is in no way a bad book. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t tend to leave public reviews for bad books! What I want to say is yes I enjoyed reading it… but stand by my belief that it would make a better waiting room book than one I would have in my own home. Especially as I feel this book is better seen in paper format, and I really don’t have the room for more paper books… nor is it a book I would want to read regularly enough to justify having it in my own home. It deserves to be read and shared, so much better suited to being a waiting room or library book. Trust me, I am saying these things as a compliment. This book needs to be shared, like the art it includes.

In summary: A book on artists, their art and their cats… a fabulous history of all three.

I'm a very easy gall, you say cat I ask where and can I pet it in the very same question sounding very much like "where can i pet it?"

So you give me a book full of cats? Artful cats?
You have my very short span attention hooked from the first illustration to the very last one.
a few times.

If you love cats, pictures of cats, text about cats, books about cat. cats cats cats

Artful Cats it's a book for you.
It very much was for me

Because all the best artists had cats that they loved. And all the best artists' cats were just kind of "meh" in return.

(Seriously, I will read anything that features [famous artists/scientists/architects/muckity-mucks] and their cats.

Youtube might be the domain of endless cat videos now but for a long time American artists have loved and celebrated their feline friends. And I’m all about reading more books about cats and kittens. Covering everything from personal snapshots, pen and ink drawings, postcards, sculptures, memorial essays and poems, watercolor paintings, letters and more, it shows that cats have been both muses and beloved companions, inspirations and occasional (still beloved) demons who have delighted and soothed those with whom they lived. While there is some formal artwork featuring cats by these artists, more of the pictures are informal and I think this is definitely something mainly cat lovers would enjoy. B

I didn't realize going into this book that it would be focused on modern American artists, an area that I have very little knowledge of. On the one hand it made it harder for me to get excited about most of the items featured since I didn't know any of the artists or their connections to each other, but on the other hand it's given me a lot of new cat-loving artists to learn about!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

Historical, artistic cats! I loved this book. This book is full of old photographs of artists and theirs cars, cat sketches and sculptures. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc

This wasn't exactly what I expected. I thought there would be more famous art paintings featuring cats. But this is an interesting collection of paintings of cats, photos of cats, sketches of cats, letters about cats, sculptures of cats, etc. etc,. etc. Anyone who doesn't like cats most likely wouldn't enjoy this book but as someone who can look at literally hundreds of photos of my cat, Mr. Muffin, without being the least bit bored, it was entertaining.

This was a cute book although I think I needed more actual pictures of cats for it to be a true success.

"Artful Cats" by Mary Savig.

I picked up this book because I'm a cat person, owned by 3 cats!

Not what I expected but I enjoyed it. Everything about cats. Writings, photos, drawings, paintings... Artists taking a pose with their cat...
It's interesting and informative. I especially liked the photo of the cat with the bunny.
A good short read.

Thank you NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am a lover of both cats and art so I thought this was the perfect read for me. It wasn’t quite what I expected ... I was thinking there would be more famous works of art involving cats. This book is a potpourri of letters, pictures and sketches from the Smithsonian Archives about artists and their cats. This seemed to be very carefully researched, but the layout and format didn’t work well for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This is an interesting book pertaining to all things cats, photos, art and writings all within the Smithsonion's archives of American Art . The book takes a look at artists and their relationship with cat. There are some quirky photos and drawings as well as some fabulous poetry, and other writings.. It is a real walk behind the scene of the artists and their relationships with these fluffy, sometimes hard to please, feline

Take from an extensive Smithsonian collection of materials from American artists, this book is an eclectic sampling of people and cats. Every picture is accompanied by a lengthy caption providing background and context. These caption provide the majority of the text. There is an introduction to the book as a whole and short introductions to each chapter.

The illustrations include finished book illustrations, photos, sketches, ephemera, and mixed media.

Yeah, not exactly what I was expecting. I had hoped for more cat art. The stories of the artists and their cats was ok. I am a cat lover, so it's nice to hear of so many others and their cats, but the format just wasn't that interesting to me. Others may enjoy it, just not for me. It has lots of photos and the writing and research was well done.

This was a very interesting read. As a mom to four furbabies of the feline variety it was fun reading the history of them. The sketches and photos were awesome too. If you just love learning about different topics give this book a try for sure.

This is a very sweet little book that explores various cat-related pieces of art and photography from the Smithsonian collection. I really enjoyed seeing artists with their cats - what a lovely and touching little facet of their history! This would defi.itely make a great gift for both cat and art lovers.

I found this book enjoyable, entertaining, and informative. I loved the illustrations and the stories.
It's a must read for art and cat lovers.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

<i>Artful Cats</i> by Mary Savig was an interesting read, but by no means is it something I would ever pick up again. I requested more out of curiosity than anything else and while I can say that the information provided within the book and the pictures that fill many of its pages was informative and interesting, it also had some dull moments. Ultimately, I see <i>Artful Cats</i> as something that would be amusing (and kind of perfect) to browse through when bored within a waiting room or something of that nature, but for me doesn't hold much purpose more than that. It was entertaining, sure, and it was engaging. But I can't really see a lot of practical use and I wouldn't enjoy it a second time around.

Of all the things that I saw throughout reading this book and browsing through the pictures of cats in art, the one thing that really stuck with me was the commentary that cats, better than dogs, are perfect animals to be watching when thinking about the vast range of human emotion and representing that in art. It's definitely an intriguing idea and certainly holds water as far as some of the darker emotions come where you would rarely see a dog act annoyed, or at least I haven't often seen that in my experience. But perhaps I'm lucky in having happy dogs. It's definitely an interesting take and I think avid cat lovers will really appreciate this book. For just the average person or someone who really likes cats but isn't in love with them, the might find it a little dull after a bit.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Have you ever stopped to consider the role of cats in art? They can be subject and/or inspiration; public art or private art sent in letters; pets of loving owners and more.

This book has chosen cats as its focus, something that I have not seen in any of my art history classes. Sketches, art work and photos of artists with their cats come to this book from the Archives of American Art. The book is divided into sections including Strike A Pose, Cats in the Studio and Cats and the Creative Process. You will see artists some of whom I knew and others whom I did not, including Louise Nevelson, Robert Indiana and Romare Bearden.

This book is work a look if cats and art are among your passions.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this look at cats in the art world.