‘Cat and Goldfish’ Giclée Print by John Craxton

Giclée print, one of an edition of 250. Printed on 310gsm thick, 100% cotton rag. Hand-numbered and hand-embossed.

Craxton knew his cats – their inner lives. As his partner Richard Riley pointed out:  ‘Craxton was so familiar with the vocabulary of cat moves, gestures and stances that he could capture them with utter conviction in a few strokes of the pen or brush’.*

Here we have cat and goldfish, locked in watchful engagement: their very eyes have become one. They are frozen – all is potential action. With its hand-coloured background, this is a particularly successful Craxton linocut.

This is quintessential cat staring, wide big eyes, a myriad of meanings to be discerned behind the gaze.