A Dancing Cat and Dog, anonymous, after Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne, c. 1630 - c. 1699
pen and brown ink, with grey wash, heightened with white, over black chalk, h 207mm × w 183mm More details
In the 17th century, and even now, portraying animals as humans was a popular way of conveying a humorous or satirical message. According to Adriaen van de Venne, the ‘foolish animals’ in his work stand for the seven deadly sins. The dancing cat and dog in this drawing represent Lust and the rats scuttling around Wrath.
