This one is a painting, not a graphic. A human skeleton stands at the left in warm ivory, ribs and spine picked out stroke by stroke, arms hanging loose at its sides. A black cat sits up on its haunches beside it and reaches one paw right up to the jawbone, head tilted, green eye catching the light and whiskers drawn in white.
Behind them the wall is a mottled wash of ochre and old teal, cracked and stained like a fresco somebody stopped restoring. A spray of small rust-red autumn flowers grows up between the two figures. A painted bronze frame with leaf corners runs around the edge of the panel; the frame and the craquelure are printed on, not moulded, and the sheet stays flat.
The soft palette lets it sit in a bedroom, a study or a stair wall all year rather than living in a box eleven months. It suits anyone whose taste runs to memento mori without the gore, and it is a kind gift for a cat person who thinks about these things.
Material: aluminium sign, fade-resistant for indoor or covered outdoor use
Sizes: 8x12 inch and 12x18 inch
Care: wipe clean with a dry cloth
Note: the raised, carved look is printed onto a flat panel
The Black Cat leads the design as an archetype of mystery, independence and familiar lore. Other gothic or seasonal details build atmosphere around that central character.
