Inside My Wifes Lovers: Carl Kahlers Iconic Painting of 42 Cats
Let me tell you, there’s a painting called “My Wife’s Lovers”, and it’s a piece that’s got folks talking. It ain’t your usual painting with people or fields or even mountains – no, this one is all about cats! And not just one or two, but a whole lot of them. The artist, an Austrian fellow named Carl Kahler, painted it back in the late 1800s, so it’s been around for quite a while. Now, they say Carl wasn’t even a cat lover, but when you got a millionaire like Kate Birdsall Johnson telling you to paint her beloved cats, you just do it, right? Can’t turn down that kind of offer!
Mrs. Johnson, she had herself a big old house full of Turkish Angora and Persian cats. You know, the kind that look all fluffy and fancy, like they know they’re better than the barn cats. Well, she loved those cats so much that she wanted a huge painting of them – and when I say huge, I mean it! This thing is over 6 feet tall and more than 8 feet wide. Big enough to cover a whole wall! The painting has about forty-two cats in it, and each one of them got their own personality. Some are looking at you like they’re ready for a meal, others are just lounging around like they own the place.
And, funny enough, the name “My Wife’s Lovers” – that might sound strange, right? But it wasn’t some romantic thing. Nope, they say it was Kate’s husband who gave it that name, sort of joking about how much she adored those cats. She had so many of them, you’d think they were her other ‘lovers’. Just picture that – a whole room filled with fancy cats, all looking up at you like they’re royalty. Those cats probably had the best of everything – fine food, their own space, probably even their own cushions to sleep on!
Now, what makes this painting even more special is that it’s said to be one of the biggest paintings ever made with cats as the main subject. Back in those days, nobody was doing something like that. Carl Kahler spent months on it, they say. He had to study each cat to capture them just right, and he painted every fur, every whisker, just like real life. You could almost feel their fur just by looking at it, they say.
And let me tell you, this painting has been around the block. It’s survived fires, earthquakes, and goodness knows what else. Even in 2015, it went up for auction at Sotheby’s and sold for a big price. People really value it because it’s unique – there just isn’t anything else like it. Right now, they’ve got it in a museum – the Portland Art Museum – and people still come from all around to see it. You’d think folks would be interested in old-timey landscapes or portraits, but no, this painting of cats has got them all intrigued!
And I suppose it’s because of the charm. It’s not just a painting; it’s like a family photo for Mrs. Johnson, showing all her furry friends. Each of those cats has its own story, I bet. If those cats could talk, they’d have tales about the luxurious life they lived with Mrs. Johnson. I heard she even left some of her fortune for them after she passed on. Now that’s love for you!
So, if you ever get a chance, go on and take a look at “My Wife’s Lovers”. It’s more than just a piece of art; it’s a glimpse into the lives of a woman and her beloved cats. And hey, who would’ve thought a painting of cats could end up being one of the most valuable pieces in the world? It just goes to show, sometimes the most surprising things leave the biggest mark.
Tags:[Carl Kahler, My Wife’s Lovers, Turkish Angora, Persian Cats, Portland Art Museum, Kate Birdsall Johnson]
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