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January 29, 2012
That's no cat: it's a bear.
Yesterday's post featuring George Caleb Bingham's iconic 1845 painting "Fur Traders Descending the Missouri" (above) evoked all manner of suggestions as to the nature of the furry animal seated at one end of the canoe.
I thought it was obviously a cat, but others thought it was a dog, a coati, or a fox.
I had a look at Wikipedia and this is what it had to say:
The Met's description says it's a "native bear cub chained to the boat's prow."
Hey, don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.
January 29, 2012 at 12:01 PM | Permalink
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Comments
BearCat?
Posted by: retail maven | Jan 30, 2012 5:59:51 AM
I can see that. Especially since I have a cat who must really be the world's oldest black bear cub. That's how big he is. And how graceful he is, too. Cough.
Posted by: Becs | Jan 30, 2012 5:36:47 AM
I'm siding with Ingo Walther. It's a kitty. http://www.themasterpiececards.com/famous-paintings-reviewed/bid/22659/Famous-Paintings-Fur-Traders-Descending-the-Missouri-1845
Posted by: Julie Bestry | Jan 30, 2012 2:10:19 AM
Wow! It even looks like a large Owl from a distance.
Hoot, hoot!
Posted by: JoePeach | Jan 29, 2012 7:24:11 PM
It sure looked like a housecat to me. I might hace accepted some type of owl.
But the closer view today with a better view of the muzzle - it still looks like a cat, but more like a bear cub once that possibility is mentioned (and certainly not an owl, darn it). Details count, I suppose.
Posted by: John A | Jan 29, 2012 4:10:27 PM
I think Bingham is having a laugh on us. That's the most catlike bear cub I have ever seen.
Posted by: tamra | Jan 29, 2012 1:54:23 PM
I prefer to think of it as a cat. Just can't get my head around it being the image of a bear.
Posted by: Larry Page | Jan 29, 2012 12:58:08 PM
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