The world of art is ever-changing. With some people spurning classic pieces for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and others opting for purposefully bad tattoos that have delighted thousands, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the traditional painting was out of favor.
But one woman's unusual painting find has proved there is still space for traditional art.
Allie, who uses the Reddit handle Prestigious-Theory-4, shared her discovery on Reddit on Thursday. Allie is currently in college in Potsdam, New York, and found the painting while moving things into storage for the summer.
It caught her eye because of the striking resemblance to her own black cat Jasper who will be two years old in October.
"It was left in the middle of the ground, not near any particular unit," she told Newsweek: "After seeing it multiple times after multiple trips, I noticed it's similar to popular artist Vanessa Stockard, whom I'm a fan of. Though I'm certain this is a recreation of one of her pieces."
Australian artist Stockard is known for her contemporary figurative paintings that mimic famous works from art history such as Johannes Vermeer's Girl With A Pearl Earring and Whistler's Mother by James McNeill Whistler. Her signature? Each picture incorporates a small portrait of her black cat Kevin.
Stockard has painted numerous works featuring Kevin the cat wearing an elaborate Elizabethan ruff around his neck—similar to that in the picture found by Allie.
"I shared the image because my boyfriend and I got a kick out of it so I thought others might and it seems they have," said Allie. Indeed, users on Reddit were delighted by the picture featuring the found painting and Jasper the cat.
"Amazing," wrote one commenter, while another said: "Who would throw that away? Great score," and one person wrote: "What a find."
"One person's trash is another person's treasure," said another Redditor: "How can someone throw such a masterpiece away?"
The delightful artwork features a black cat wearing a statement ruff and a hat bearing the word 'dunce.' A mild insult, dunce refers to a person who is slow at learning or stupid—a fact that Redditors felt the cat may have some feelings about.
"That cat is very offended," joked one commenter. Another said: "Your cat looks quite skeptical about the resemblance."
"Based on the look on your cat's face, I'm 94% sure he can read," said one comment.
Overjoyed with her new artwork, Allie says right now it's hanging in her college dorm but will most definitely travel from place to place with her.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
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