The Kattenkabinet: A Dutch Art Museum

Perhaps one of the main attractions of the domestic cat is its perfect blend of the exotic and the mundane. Even given its beauty and idiosyncrasy, we can all have one as it is not a difficult animal to obtain or care for. It is logical, then, that many artists have owned cats and incorporated them into their works. Indeed Leonardo da Vinci called the small feline "a masterpiece".

The city of Amsterdam plays host to the Kattenkabinet, or Cat Museum, the only museum in the world fully dedicated to cats in art. In its present location in a beautifully restored 17th century canalside mansion on Herengracht 497, it houses a wonderful collection of cat-themed artworks.

The Kattenkabinet was initially founded by Dutch painter Sal Meijer (1877-1965), often criticised for his modest artistic aims and humble subject, the household cat. Yet Meijer loved these animals and the collection, a labour of love, was begun in memory of a special cat with a fun name. His own cat, John Pierpont Morgan (1966-1983) named after the American banker, was the subject of the portrait which started the ball rolling.

Cat owners might identify with the general silliness around the figure of this cat. Meijer honoured his pet with a portrait by Ansel Sanberg on his fifth birthday and a bronze statue on his tenth, unfortunately later stolen. At the grand age of fifteen a booklet of cat-limericks was published and a single edition of dollar bills was printed in which Washington´s portrait was replaced by that of the distinguished cat. "In God we trust " was replaced by "We trust no dogs".

Of course today the museum is not simply the self-indulgent hobby of wealthy artists. The exhibits includes paintings, drawings and sculptures by artistic giants such as Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, the woodblock prints of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and, of course, the black cat poster art of Théophile Steinlen. The logo of the museum is a detail from Rudyard Kipling´s 1926 Cat That Walked By Himself.

Since its inception the museum has also acquired works by less well-known artists such as Henriëtte Ronner-Knip, a 19th century Dutch artist who focused her talent on landscapes, dogs and cats. Despite the social restrictions on women at the time, she was able to support her family from her painting.

Contemporary artists also figure, with the stunning watercolours of Sonja Dwinger and the inspiring sculptures of Lies Lobatto, as well as works by the contemporary British artist resident in Amsterdam, Helen Frik. Other works are signed by Argentinian artist, Leonor Fini, as well as Nicholas Tarkhoff, Leonard Tsuguharu Foujita and Albert Carel Willink and his "imaginary realism."

There are also exquisite silkwork embroideries from China as well as an oriental Beckoning Cat, considered by the Chinese and Japanese to bring good fortune.

The museum does not take itself too seriously and, fittingly, owns works by madcap cartoonist, Daan Remmerts de Vries, the aptly named comic artist, Marten Toonder and Aart Clerkx, also a comic creator and graphic designer.

The Kattenkabinet is not only a gateway to Dutch art but to art in general. It is also a lovely place to take children, given the relaxed atmosphere in which visitors are permitted to take photos, and the real cats to be found on surfaces of all kinds.