The Thinking Cat by Bianca ter Riet

About "The Thinking Cat"

by Bianca ter Riet

About the artwork

The Thinking Cat is an intriguing portrait of quiet intelligence and understated elegance. In this work, we see a black cat that is not simply present, but seems to be reflecting - with a posture reminiscent of human contemplation. Her paw rests on her chin in a pose that feels classically philosophical, almost like an echo of Rodin's Thinker, but in feline form.

The eyes are sharp, slightly reflective and perfectly symmetrical, conveying a sense of inner peace and control. She is not looking directly at the viewer, but just past it - as if her thoughts are elsewhere. Maybe about existence, maybe about the next meal, maybe about us. The cat is enigmatic and reveals itself only partially.

The background is neutral, abstract, with soft, changing shades that evoke an atmosphere of timelessness. This makes the cat stand out all the more, like a silhouette of black velvet with subtle copper-coloured flowers on its fur. These flowers give the image a touch of softness and fragility, and make the figure almost tactile - as if you could touch her.

The title The Thinking Cat plays with our tendency to ascribe human characteristics to animals. Cats, often mysterious and autonomous, are presented here as more than instinctual: as sentient, observant beings with an inner world. The work prompts reflection on how we look - at animals, at each other, at silence.

This cat is not a pet, not an animal in action, but a being that transcends itself. She is thinking, caught in a second of stillness. A mirror of our own introspection, wrapped in a feline body. Fantasy.

Conceived by Bianca ter Riet, visualized with AI.