My Wife's Lovers by Carl Kahler
8"x10" ($40) | 11"x14" ($85) | 16"x20" ($275) | 20"x24" ($675)
42 cats are depicted by painter Carl Kahler in our newest release, My Wife's Lovers. Victorian millionaire Kate Birdsall Johnson, who commissioned this painting from Kahler in 1891, reportedly owned 350 cats (!!!) at one timeâsome today might have called her a "childless cat lady".
With a HUGE election around the cornerâand the fact that cats keep coming up in this election cycleâwe are thrilled to be donating 20% of all net proceeds of print sales from this edition to Vote Forward, an organization that empowers grassroots volunteers to send handwritten letters encouraging fellow Americans to vote. At 20x200, we're big believers in the institution of democracy, and are eager to do everything we can do ensure its survival. Mobilizing potential voters in communities that have historically been marginalized in the political processâsuch as people of color, women, and young votersâfalls right in line with Kamalaâs policies and values, and we want to make sure she gets every vote she can. Election day will arrive sooner than we know it (GULP), and our donation to Vote Forward will only run until October 15th, so don't wait! (While you're at it, make sure you're registered to vote!!)
Although My Wifeâs Loversâ was commissioned by an American from an Austrian, it has a distinct French je ne sais quoi. The paintingâs sumptuous scale, as well as the swaths of pink silk charmeuse draped across the frame, are entirely de la francais. Kahler pulled off this decadent scene despite having never painted a cat before in his life (he traded in human portraiture and depictions of horse races). The artist was said to have prepared to paint My Wifeâs Lovers by studying the movement and behavior of cats for three whole yearsâonly then did the oil hit the canvas.Â
For such a massive and riotous piece, My Wifeâs Lovers has really gotten around. Johnson lent it to the Chicago Worldâs Fair in 1893, and it moved to the Palace of Art Salon in San Francisco the following year. Sadly, neither Kahler nor the Salon survived the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, but miraculously My Wifeâs Lovers did. (Maybe paintings of cats have nine lives too?) In more recent years, the piece has been displayed at the Portland Art Museum in Oregon as part of an effort to advocate for cat adoptions in the state. And today weâre adding more lives to this work: the prints that will live on in many of your homes, and their proceeds will go towards ensuring a bright future for our democracy.
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