Historical Caricatures

The divinity of the cat in ancient Egypt ensured that it played a prominent role in Egyptian art. Stonemakers, sculptors, and painters were employed by the state to decorate the tombs of the New Kingdom pharaohs (1540-1196 BC).

In addition to their work on official monuments, these artisans created the first "cartoon cats" - humorous, satirical drawings on papyrus reed paper) and ostracon (smooth white limestone). At Deir el-Medina, in the region now known as the Valley of the Kings, a wealth of papyri and ostraca have been discovered.

Now spread throughout the museums of the world, these informal drawings provide a fascinating window on the irreverent and appealing cynicism of that time). Some ostraca are simple cartoon sketches of cats, but others are scathing commentaries on aristocratic, ancient Egyptian life.

In Russia, an unknown cartoonist portrayed Czar Peter the Great (1672-1725) as a cat in
the cartoon,  The Cat of Kazan. In 1698, the czar was reviled by the old aristocracy and church hierarchy because he outlawed the wearing of beards.

Facial hair in the form of a mustache was allowed, however, mainly because the czar sported a fine specimen - known as his "whiskers" - which was considerably exaggerated on the cartoon cat.

In recent years, the cartoon cat has played a less political role in Russia, starring in light-entertainment comic strips such as Holidays in Prostokvashino and The Adventures of Leopold.
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