Cat 猫

A girl sits on the floor in a slightly informal pose, with a cat cradled in her left arm and leaning on her right. Accurately drawn lines subtly changing expression as they trace the girl's body and her clothing, and the depiction of her glowing skin showing through the intricate lace patterns; the technique here is virtually impeccable. Subdued colors stress the impression of the girl's innocence. The model is the artist's daughter, Seiko. Does the father wish his beloved daughter to stay pure and innocent, and through this picture express his desire to keep her under his protection forever? What makes us doubt that he holds such stereotype emotions about her is the black cat on her lap. The cat and the girl gaze in different directions; and the girl seems slightly weary of holding the cat. The whimsicality, maliciousness, and mystery usually associated with a black cat are totally alien to the appearance of this girl. The father uses the black cat as the symbol of hidden aspects of her personality which will become evident as she grows older, and holds them in his eye along with the child she currently is. Because they so strongly emphasize the representation of fashion and manners, beauty portraits are apt to depict stereotyped women. Against this trend, Teii Nakamura attempted to create portraits that capture the personalities of the women portrayed.