What do you think?
Rate this book
A History of Art in 21 Cats: From the Old Masters to the Modernists, the Moggy as Muse: an illustrated guide
Art history has been given a fun feline makeover.
Discover the basics of important art movements through a host of beautifully illustrated cats, each one inspired by a specific period in art history. From Surrealism to Cubism, Abstract Expressionism to Ancient Egyptian art, these creative cats will introduce you to key themes and provide you with all of the inspiration you need if you want to create your own version.
Each illustrated cat comes with an overview of the art movement that it represents, plus a breakdown of the cats features, explaining the relevance of each. Accompanied by fun, informative captions, each element – from faces and fur to patterns, shapes and colours – provides a quirky, accessible insight into the history of art.
More than just a reference book, A History of Art in 21 Cats is perfect for art enthusiasts and cat lovers alike.
Discover the basics of important art movements through a host of beautifully illustrated cats, each one inspired by a specific period in art history. From Surrealism to Cubism, Abstract Expressionism to Ancient Egyptian art, these creative cats will introduce you to key themes and provide you with all of the inspiration you need if you want to create your own version.
Each illustrated cat comes with an overview of the art movement that it represents, plus a breakdown of the cats features, explaining the relevance of each. Accompanied by fun, informative captions, each element – from faces and fur to patterns, shapes and colours – provides a quirky, accessible insight into the history of art.
More than just a reference book, A History of Art in 21 Cats is perfect for art enthusiasts and cat lovers alike.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2019
24 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
March 19, 2023
The old cliche "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like" sums me up pretty well. However, having read this excellent & concise history of art I now know a lot more.
Although the text is very informative it is Nia Gould's superb illustrations that make this book a real gem. Combining cats & art was a great way to put a smile on my face.
I bought this book from a shop called Niaski in the Devon seaside town of Budleigh Salterton, near where I live in Exeter. As well as books the shop also has a wonderful collection of prints, pin badges, tea towels etc all featuring famous artworks & artists mixed in with appearances from cats. There's Pablo Picatso, Frida Catlo, Georgia O'Kitty.....well, you get the idea.
My biggest surprise was that the person who owns the shop was artist Nia Gould herself, who very kindly signed this book for me. Now I really am the cat who got the cream!
Although the text is very informative it is Nia Gould's superb illustrations that make this book a real gem. Combining cats & art was a great way to put a smile on my face.
I bought this book from a shop called Niaski in the Devon seaside town of Budleigh Salterton, near where I live in Exeter. As well as books the shop also has a wonderful collection of prints, pin badges, tea towels etc all featuring famous artworks & artists mixed in with appearances from cats. There's Pablo Picatso, Frida Catlo, Georgia O'Kitty.....well, you get the idea.
My biggest surprise was that the person who owns the shop was artist Nia Gould herself, who very kindly signed this book for me. Now I really am the cat who got the cream!
August 23, 2023
I was truly surprised to read in the bio at the back that this is the author's first book. It is truly amazing! I loved the layout which includes the description of each art movement with a full page illustration, followed by a collage of small illustrations and captions of the things that define that movement. It's a truly and informative book with lots of cattitude!
June 7, 2019
‘Twas the cat’s pajamas when NetGalley approved my request for this meow-ve-lous offering for feline and art lovers. Happily nosed through the colorful pages illustrating art hiss-tory eras, with glorious kitties arrayed in styles akin to Purr-meer, Jackson Paw-llock, Frieda Kat-lo, and many others. Five Tails Up!
Pub Date 13 Aug 2019.
Thanks to the author, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#AHistoryOfArtIn21Cats #NetGalley
Pub Date 13 Aug 2019.
Thanks to the author, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#AHistoryOfArtIn21Cats #NetGalley
September 17, 2020
Lịch Sử Nghệ Thuật qua dáng vẻ 21 chú mèo - tên sách đã tự nói lên tất cả. Trên Goodreads này có một review viết đại ý, đây là một quyển sách minh họa tuyệt vời về nghệ thuật, và về mèo; ai thích nghệ thuật mà chẳng mê mèo, hay người yêu mèo mà không khoái nghệ thuật đều có thể đọc và thích quyển này. Mình thêm vào trường hợp thứ 3, không thích nghệ thuật mấy, chẳng yêu mèo, nhưng vẫn cứ đọc, và cũng thích.
Là một người dốt đặc cán mai về nghệ thuật, mình sẽ ngắc ngứ nếu có câu đố vui để học nào đó yêu cầu kể tên 5 trường phái hội họa; và dĩ nhiên, mình không thể nhìn một bức tranh và nói nó thuộc trường phái nào.
Quyển này có thể là một cuốn sách vỡ lòng, kể tên và khái quát các đặc điểm của từng trường phái, từ những thứ quen thuộc như Ấn tượng, Pop Art đến những trường phái mình chưa quen tên như De Stijl, Da Da, hiện thực huyền ảo.
Nếu tậu quyển này, bạn có thể nhìn ngắm một lượt những chú mèo trong sách, hoặc lên trang cá nhân của tác giả Nia Gould (niaski.com) để xem thêm các tác phẩm về mèo, chứ chưa cần đọc text - phần đó có thể để dành khi cần tra cứu.
Là một người dốt đặc cán mai về nghệ thuật, mình sẽ ngắc ngứ nếu có câu đố vui để học nào đó yêu cầu kể tên 5 trường phái hội họa; và dĩ nhiên, mình không thể nhìn một bức tranh và nói nó thuộc trường phái nào.
Quyển này có thể là một cuốn sách vỡ lòng, kể tên và khái quát các đặc điểm của từng trường phái, từ những thứ quen thuộc như Ấn tượng, Pop Art đến những trường phái mình chưa quen tên như De Stijl, Da Da, hiện thực huyền ảo.
Nếu tậu quyển này, bạn có thể nhìn ngắm một lượt những chú mèo trong sách, hoặc lên trang cá nhân của tác giả Nia Gould (niaski.com) để xem thêm các tác phẩm về mèo, chứ chưa cần đọc text - phần đó có thể để dành khi cần tra cứu.
May 23, 2019
A brief brochure (98 pages) about art styles. The key points of every art movement were shown to us in c(at)reative way. Cute and colorful cats make covers to most famous paintings of every movement, and explain some details about it.
Just a cute little book about art.
Just a cute little book about art.
February 11, 2021
Ich finde die Zusammenstellung sehr gelungen, für so eine kurze Lektüre. Ich mochte das Format, dass zuerst allegemin etwas zur Strömung gesagt wird und dann einzelne Elemente des Bildes analysiert und erklärt werden. Sehr gelungen!
April 12, 2021
21 καλλιτεχνικά ρεύματα, κυρίως από τα μέσα του 19ου αιώνα και μετά εξηγούνται, κάπως επιγραμματικά και αρκετά χαριτωμένα, με τρόπο που μάλλον σε κάνει να κρατήσεις την πληροφορία και να θυμάσαι τις διακρίσεις. Είναι αλήθεια πως αυτές τις πληροφορίες μπορείς να τις πάρεις από οποιοδήποτε "σοβαρό" βιβλίο τέχνης ή από άρθρα στη wikipedia, όμως το αγόρασα γιατί ΓΑΤΕΣ και είναι αλήθεια πως οτιδήποτε το μαθαίνεις ευκολότερα όταν το συνδέεις με κάτι που αγαπάς. Ενώ αρχικά σκεφτόμουν ότι αυτό το βιβλίο θα ήταν τέλεια εισαγωγή στην τέχνη για ένα παιδί ή προέφηβο, τελικά το λεξιλόγιο και οι έννοιες γίνονται όλο και πιο ενήλικα κι όσο προχωρούσε προς την αφαίρεση, τόσο περισσότερο κατανοούσα κι εν μέρη εκτιμούσα την τέχνη που ακόμα δεν με έχει συγκινήσει βαθειά. Είναι κι αυτό ένα πρώτο βήμα.
June 6, 2019
2,5/5. Presenting art style and various art period through artistic(at)... Yeah...Could be useful maybe for an art teacher in elementary that want to present and explore various style and period in the art history with kids, but, I don’t know, something just didn’t really click between me and this book.
December 11, 2020
Ủa sao nhiều quyển chưa rate vậy nhỉ.
Sách xinh, minh hoạ mèo rất xinh, các trường phái nghệ thuật lại càng xinh hơn nữa.
Sách xinh, minh hoạ mèo rất xinh, các trường phái nghệ thuật lại càng xinh hơn nữa.
January 11, 2022
Uma forma muito divertida de conhecer os principais movimentos artísticos através dos tempos.
July 7, 2021
Um livro simples e muito interessante. Uma forma diferente de aprender as diferentes correntes artísticas. Em breve, vou utilizar como ferramenta nas minhas aulas de Cidadania.
June 11, 2020
Wirklich süß gestaltet und einige interessante Infos
December 13, 2025
Such a cute book explaining art with… cats :)
April 2, 2023
Gewoon leuk!
April 22, 2025
Um livro que convida a conhecer a história dos movimentos artísticos. Muito interessante e divertido.
July 13, 2019
Did anyone mention cats?
I just couldn't escape this delightful book, the illustrations are too cute and I did actually learn something new on the way. Honestly I don't know much about art but thanks to the sweet little guidelines of how to spot which period of art a piece belongs to...soon my newly acquired skills in art will work like a charm for sure! (People will be surprised how well read I am ;))
Thanks Netgalley and Nia Gould to give me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I just couldn't escape this delightful book, the illustrations are too cute and I did actually learn something new on the way. Honestly I don't know much about art but thanks to the sweet little guidelines of how to spot which period of art a piece belongs to...soon my newly acquired skills in art will work like a charm for sure! (People will be surprised how well read I am ;))
Thanks Netgalley and Nia Gould to give me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2019
A History of Art in 21 Cats sweeps through periods of art with feline grace, from ancient Egyptian and Byzantine to Surrealism and Graffiti—using cats to demonstrate techniques and to recreate some of the world’s most well known art.
Nia Gould has developed an intriguing way of making art more accessible, and definitely less dry than a cat-less, yet otherwise identical, book of art history would be. She covers the history of different eras in art, and also features movements in the art scene taking over and being replaced. Reasons for the significance of materials utilized during different times help to accentuate what was important to the artists and what they wanted their audience to see.
Gould’s own art demonstrates methods used in art and why they vary widely: Egyptians used hieroglyphs, eyes, jewels, gold, and color to cast importance onto the things they valued; Byzantine art made use of glazed ceramic tiles and gold leaf to shine brilliantly in candlelight; Degas and Monet were simply obsessed with their impressions of ballerinas and water lilies, respectively; pop art took advantage of new technologies; wild colors, shapes, lines, splatters of paint and photo montages deviated from the traditional ideas or concepts.
The cats of Nia Gould help to show how some artists and movements even challenged the very essence of art, what art was, and what art could be. I’d recommend this book to anyone, though it would make a wonderful gift for cat lovers or those with an interest in art. It’s vibrant, full of pictures, doesn’t go overboard with the amount of information, and is quite memorable.
Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing, Nia Gould, and NetGalley for the provided e-ARC and the opportunity to read this book. My review is honest, unbiased, and voluntary. #NetGalley #AHistoryOfArtIn21Cats
(Some of my favorites: Vermeer’s “Cat” with a Pearl Earring, pointillism Cat with Umbrella, the Frida Kahlo felines, the Dali-Magritte-Miró LobsterHatCat.)
Nia Gould has developed an intriguing way of making art more accessible, and definitely less dry than a cat-less, yet otherwise identical, book of art history would be. She covers the history of different eras in art, and also features movements in the art scene taking over and being replaced. Reasons for the significance of materials utilized during different times help to accentuate what was important to the artists and what they wanted their audience to see.
Gould’s own art demonstrates methods used in art and why they vary widely: Egyptians used hieroglyphs, eyes, jewels, gold, and color to cast importance onto the things they valued; Byzantine art made use of glazed ceramic tiles and gold leaf to shine brilliantly in candlelight; Degas and Monet were simply obsessed with their impressions of ballerinas and water lilies, respectively; pop art took advantage of new technologies; wild colors, shapes, lines, splatters of paint and photo montages deviated from the traditional ideas or concepts.
The cats of Nia Gould help to show how some artists and movements even challenged the very essence of art, what art was, and what art could be. I’d recommend this book to anyone, though it would make a wonderful gift for cat lovers or those with an interest in art. It’s vibrant, full of pictures, doesn’t go overboard with the amount of information, and is quite memorable.
Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing, Nia Gould, and NetGalley for the provided e-ARC and the opportunity to read this book. My review is honest, unbiased, and voluntary. #NetGalley #AHistoryOfArtIn21Cats
(Some of my favorites: Vermeer’s “Cat” with a Pearl Earring, pointillism Cat with Umbrella, the Frida Kahlo felines, the Dali-Magritte-Miró LobsterHatCat.)
January 15, 2024
Art history but make it cats.
A History of Art in 21 Cats uses original artwork to illustrate different major art movements and each includes a short history, major themes and artists.
Cat fanciers and art appreciators will love this one sit read.
A History of Art in 21 Cats uses original artwork to illustrate different major art movements and each includes a short history, major themes and artists.
Cat fanciers and art appreciators will love this one sit read.
October 8, 2025
Uma excelente forma de ficar a conhecer mais sobre os vários movimentos artísticos. Os gatos só tornam tudo mais engraçado e divertido de aprender. O livro apresenta os elementos que compõem cada movimento artístico bem como os diversos artistas que marcaram esse mesmo movimentos.
February 16, 2021
Sanat tarihini böyle eğlenceli okutsalardı ya okullarda da :) Fikre bayıldım, kağıdın ipeksi dokusuna hayran kaldım.
August 11, 2019
Thank you to Andrews McMeet for a digital edition via NetGalley of Nia Gould’s ‘A History of Art in 21 Cats’ in exchange for an honest review.
From Ancient Egypt through to various modern art movements Nia Gould has created this delightful feline-themed history of art.
Her versions of famous paintings featuring cats were just fab. Along the way Nia Gould provides interesting little snippets of information about each artistic style.
The NetGalley edition was in low resolution, which allowed me to gain a sense of the content even though the images were in black and white. Loving cats as I do as well as being interested in art history, I immediately ordered its hardback edition. The bright and vibrant colours as shown on the cover are continued throughout.
It makes a brilliant coffee table book and would be the purrfect gift for cat-loving friends and family.
From Ancient Egypt through to various modern art movements Nia Gould has created this delightful feline-themed history of art.
Her versions of famous paintings featuring cats were just fab. Along the way Nia Gould provides interesting little snippets of information about each artistic style.
The NetGalley edition was in low resolution, which allowed me to gain a sense of the content even though the images were in black and white. Loving cats as I do as well as being interested in art history, I immediately ordered its hardback edition. The bright and vibrant colours as shown on the cover are continued throughout.
It makes a brilliant coffee table book and would be the purrfect gift for cat-loving friends and family.
March 13, 2021
The best word to describe this not-really-a-book type brochure is "meh". Doesn't give a lot of information of the different art styles it includes - it needs more visual examples and artists' facts. Someone with zero art knowledge will undoubtedly find this book very helpful and informative, but anyone who has paid attention in 9th grade art classes will know about 90% of the books content. Nonetheless, it's written in a fun and creative way. I wouldn't necessary recommend it, but it's short and nice to look at. 1 extra star for being cat themed.
March 23, 2023
Very fun, interesting, and most importantly an easy introduction to many art movements. Basically it breaks down many major art movements to their pieces, by drawing a (cat-themed) image and then explaining each part of it and how it relates to the most famous artists of the movement. Many things I've heard before, but the information was all over the place, so it felt nice to put things back in order.
Also, cats ❤️
Also, cats ❤️
May 15, 2020
I feel slightly conflicted. I'd give this closer to a 3.5. The book does what it sets out to do but I can't help comparing it to other books I liked more about cats. Lol then on the other hand I feel like I'm taking it too seriously? I don't know it was pretty good.
November 10, 2025
I really liked the illustrations, but I wish it was longer!
May 10, 2025
Comprei este livro para oferecer e não podia estar mais satisfeito.
É uma leitura leve e ao mesmo tempo instrutiva — consegue transmitir noções básicas de história da arte sem ser maçuda.
Para alguém como eu, que não percebe grande coisa do assunto, foi um óptimo ponto de partida.
Um presente ideal para quem gosta (ou não!) de arte… e de gatos 😸
(lido em português)
É uma leitura leve e ao mesmo tempo instrutiva — consegue transmitir noções básicas de história da arte sem ser maçuda.
Para alguém como eu, que não percebe grande coisa do assunto, foi um óptimo ponto de partida.
Um presente ideal para quem gosta (ou não!) de arte… e de gatos 😸
(lido em português)
October 5, 2025
Er is ook een variant voor hondenliefhebbers!
June 19, 2019
This was a great way to present art and importan information for those who don’t actually know where to start learning. For me it was really entertaining, fun and obviously super clever because, I do love me some cats, and it didn’t even feel like the usual art books where sooner or later you get bored.
Thank you, Netgalley.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Esta es una forma genial de presentar el arte e información importante para aquellos que no sabemos dónde comenzar a aprender sobre el tema. Para mi fue realmente entretenido, claro y obviamente astuto, porque amo a los gatos y mientras leía no lo sentí como los libros normales sobre arte, esos que tarde o temprano terminan aburriéndome.
Gracias, Netgalley.
Thank you, Netgalley.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Esta es una forma genial de presentar el arte e información importante para aquellos que no sabemos dónde comenzar a aprender sobre el tema. Para mi fue realmente entretenido, claro y obviamente astuto, porque amo a los gatos y mientras leía no lo sentí como los libros normales sobre arte, esos que tarde o temprano terminan aburriéndome.
Gracias, Netgalley.
June 8, 2019
A History...provides art history with a delightful twist. It is much more than a cover-to-cover of documented cat cuteness. It's also educational, creative and cat-immersive. Cat people wake up! This book is for us/you.
A History..is also brilliant and fully of inspiring images. A nice follow-up would be a matching book of postcards and/or a set of 8x10 prints.
There's really only one way to view the Mona Lisa through the eyes of a cat-lover and Gould has captured it.
Plus, where else are you going to go to see a cat in a tutu? Hmmm...Ugh, huh.
A History..is also brilliant and fully of inspiring images. A nice follow-up would be a matching book of postcards and/or a set of 8x10 prints.
There's really only one way to view the Mona Lisa through the eyes of a cat-lover and Gould has captured it.
Plus, where else are you going to go to see a cat in a tutu? Hmmm...Ugh, huh.
April 20, 2020
A review that I am writing a bit late... but finally managing to do it.
This was a gift from a friend who's well aware of my obsession with cats.
This book is ART, in the literal sense of the word! The idea is genius; to introduce the basics of different art movements throughout history in the simplest words (cat-related) and with illustrations (of cats obviously) depicting elements from the leading artists of each movement.
Pretty much that is all that can be said about it. Deserves not less than 4 stars; light and fun!
This was a gift from a friend who's well aware of my obsession with cats.
This book is ART, in the literal sense of the word! The idea is genius; to introduce the basics of different art movements throughout history in the simplest words (cat-related) and with illustrations (of cats obviously) depicting elements from the leading artists of each movement.
Pretty much that is all that can be said about it. Deserves not less than 4 stars; light and fun!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews