Artist John Craxton told Andrew Lambirth how much he loved painting his pets
The writer and artist Oswell Blakeston once described catsastheAtoZofthe spiritual life. If they were not quite this for John Craxton, they were certainly an index of moods and states of mind, and a splendidly apposite vehicle for his visual and verbal wit. Craxton loved cats and lived with them, on and off, for most of his life. The cat image came readily to mind and hand, whether he was planning a taverna scene in Crete, or doodling during a telephone conversation. Cats permeate his art, weaving their way through his paintings, drawings and prints, bringing humour and mischief to his images, as they did to his daily existence. John Craxton (1922-2009) painting Two Cats, 1955-57 Affectionate and faithless, they were like so many casual lovers, no better than they should be and gloriously on the make. In many ways, they are a fitting leitmotif for his own happy-go- lucky life...
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