Kittens at Play

Henriëtte Ronner-Knip prints bring a houseful of kittens, mother cats and faithful dogs into your home. Ronner-Knip was a Dutch-Belgian painter who became one of the best-loved animal painters of the nineteenth century, famous for her long-haired cats at play among antique furniture and rich fabrics. Our collection of fine art prints gathers her kitten scenes, mother cats, music-lesson comedies, dogs and a few early studies.

About Henriëtte Ronner-Knip

Henriëtte Knip was born in Amsterdam on 31 May 1821 into a family of artists. Her father, the painter Josephus Augustus Knip, taught her and her brother from the age of five, even as his own eyesight failed; by 1832 he was completely blind. The family moved often, from The Hague to Beek and 's-Hertogenbosch, before settling in Berlicum, and the young Henriëtte took charge of the family's money and affairs. She was painting seriously by 1835, sending farm scenes, landscapes and animals to the salons from 1836, and in 1838 she showed at the Exhibition of Living Masters.

After her mother's death in 1848 she moved to Amsterdam and became the first woman admitted as a member of the artists' society Arti et Amicitiae. In 1850 she married Feico Ronner and they moved to Brussels. Her husband was often ill and became her business manager, and she supported the family with her painting, something very rare for a woman artist of the time. Three of her children, Alfred, Alice and Emma, also became painters.

In Brussels she turned almost entirely to dogs and, later, cats. Her famous scenes of long-haired cats in comfortable middle-class rooms date from after 1870, when cat shows and pedigree breeding were becoming fashionable. She painted lapdogs for Queen Marie Henriette of Belgium, showed at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and received the Order of Leopold in 1887. She died in Ixelles, Brussels, on 28 February 1909.

Style and Subjects

Ronner-Knip's cats are painted with remarkable care for texture: you can almost feel the soft fur, the silk cushions and the polished wood. Her scenes are small comedies. Kittens play, explore and get into mischief while a proud mother keeps watch. Behind them are antique furniture, draped fabric, mirrors and ornaments.

She kept dogs, cats and a parrot in her garden and studied them in the studio. Then she cut paper models of the poses she wanted and arranged them with real props before painting, which helps explain the lively yet carefully staged look of her pictures.

Famous Works

• Cat with Kittens (1844), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. An early cat picture, painted years before she made cats her speciality.
• Three against One: A Cat Hissing at Three Dogs (1866), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. A standoff between one brave cat and three dogs, from her Brussels years.
• The Cat at Play (1869), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. One of her cat pictures in the Rijksmuseum, painted in her Brussels years.
• Dangerous Ground, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Kittens exploring where they should not, a typical Ronner-Knip comedy.
• Cat with Five Kittens (1874), Noordbrabants Museum, 's-Hertogenbosch. A mother cat with her litter, from the decade when her cat pictures became famous.
• Curiosity (1889). Kittens investigating something new, a theme she returned to again and again.
• The Piano Lesson (1897), Teylers Museum, Haarlem. One of her late cat scenes, combining kittens and music.

Decorating with Ronner-Knip Prints

Ronner-Knip's cats are a natural fit for cosy rooms. A kitten scene such as Kittens At Play or Two Kittens Sitting On A Cushion suits a living room, reading nook or bedroom with warm wood, soft fabrics and classic furniture. The music-themed pictures, such as The Musicians, are a playful choice for a music room or beside the piano.

The pictures also make thoughtful gifts for cat lovers, and look charming in a child's room. Her dog paintings, like A Puppy in a Barrel, suit a hallway or mudroom.

FAQ

What is Henriëtte Ronner-Knip known for?

She is best known for her paintings of cats, especially long-haired kittens playing among antique furniture and fabrics, which she painted mostly after 1870. She also painted dogs, including the lapdogs of the Belgian queen.

What art movement was Henriëtte Ronner-Knip part of?

She painted in a Romantic, realist style and is counted among the leading animal painters of the nineteenth century. Her detailed cat scenes were very popular in her lifetime.

Where can I see her original paintings?

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam holds several, including The Cat at Play and Three against One. Others are in the Teylers Museum in Haarlem and the Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch.

How did Ronner-Knip paint such lively cats?

She kept many animals at home and studied them closely in her studio. She then made rough paper models of the poses she wanted and placed them among real furniture and fabrics before painting.

Related Artists

• Josephus Augustus Knip: her father and first teacher
• Henriëtte Geertruida Knip: her aunt, also taught by Josephus Augustus Knip
• David Col: genre painter with whom she occasionally collaborated