I did a Google image search with keywords “skeleton cat” and lots of images came up. I’m a bit sensitive to the topic at the moment, because Paula is so skinny that one can feel every bone. I’m afraid I’ll have nightmares from studying the skeletal structure of the cat more closely. So I deliberately chose a drawing where the skeleton looks less technical and is shown in relation to the shape of a healthy cat.
The skeleton looks of course interesting, but I’d rather not depict any details when drawing a cat. I prefer just following the outlines along the fur contours.
I proceeded with a Google search for George Stubbs (1724 – 1806) and as usual found the Wikipedia article quite helpful as an introduction. George Stubbs was a British painter and highly recognized for his naturalistic horse paintings, but he also painted portraits and other animals. The article shows some horse painting, for example the Whistlejacket (c. 1762), which is of impressive exactness.
The article also reports that Stubbs spend some years researching the anatomy of horses by dissecting them. This suggests that Stubbs used his anatomical knowledge to construct his horse paintings with their skeletal and muscle structure in mind, rather than estimating the horse’s shapes from its outlines. The results are quite convincing with regard to their accurateness in depicting horses.
A Google Image search for Stubbs’ anatomical drawings brought up one which is an etching for his book ‘Anatomy of the horse’. It is extremely accurate, and I wondered why there was an additional line drawing with little numbers written inside each area. First I associated this to “painting by numbers”, the commercial way of aiding aspiring artists to produce respectable artwork. Then I thought the numbers were engraving instructions, but then I realized that the image was not a drawing, but already the engraving. Finally it dawned on me that the numbers were probably referred to in the text, to indicate which anatomical structure the area represented. Stubbs must have been obsessed with perfectioning his illustrations. Maybe this was a reflection of the times, like following the ideal of a scientific approach to nature, a departure of the more mystifying or religious views of the world.
Since the Google image search wasn’t very helpful in identifying anatomical drawings, I proceeded to search in the Bridgeman education library. It contains a nice collection of paintings by Stubbs, confirming that Stubbs painted quite a variety of different motives, but remained true to his ideal of accurate representation. I found a really cute painting of a little kitten. I think this painting is a little less technical and more guided by the furry appearance of the animal.
George Stubbs 1790 Miss Anne White’s Kitten
And finally I also found some anatomical drawings, for example “The Study of muscles: Ecorche” which depicts a horse from the side. I also liked the Anatomical drawing of a horse skeleton in relationship to its outline shape. This was done in pen and ink and pencil on paper.
I think the extreme accuracy of George Stubbs’ paintings is a result of his anatomical knowledge. He seems to be building his painted animals from inside out, with a profound knowledge of anatomy helping him to get the outline shapes and proportions correct.
Nevertheless I don’t feel very much at ease with the anatomical approach. It makes me think of dead animals and the process of dissecting them. I’m not comfortable with it.
References
Image of the cat skeleton from
http://facinatingamazinganimals.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/skeletal-system-skeletons-joints-bones-part-two/
George Stubbs, c. 1762 Whistlejacket, oil on canvas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Whistlejacket_by_George_Stubbs.jpg
George Stubbs, Etching for Anatomy of the Horse, 1766. 52 x 41 cm.
http://drawingdetail.tumblr.com/post/25996468309/george-stubbs-etching-for-anatomy-of-the-horse
George Stubbs 1790 Miss Anne White’s Kitten
http://www.bridgemaneducation.com/ImageView.aspx?result=12&balid=4870
The study of muscles: Ecorche
http://www.bridgemaneducation.com/ImageView.aspx?result=75&balid=55333
Pen and ink drawing of the anatomy of a horse (skeleton in relationship to shape)
http://www.bridgemaneducation.com/ImageView.aspx?result=88&balid=211045