Three Kittens Playing with a Ball of Wool

FRIEDRICH SPECHT (GERMAN, 1839-1909) Three Kittens Playing with a Ball of Wool Black chalk, watercolor and bodycolor on paper 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 in Signed: F. Specht After completing his studies at Stuttgart Academy, Friedrich Specht (German,1839-1909) began his painting career specializing in the depiction of animals. He is best known for his illustration of Alfred Edmund Brehm s (1829-1884), encyclopedia Illustriertes Tierleben. Eine allgemeine Kunde des Tierreichs, 1864-1865 (The Life of Animals), a massive ten-volume work on animal life that enjoyed popular success well into the late nineteenth century and beyond. It may be assumed that Specht s many illustrations for this work contributed to its renown as many were used to adorn other books or provided patterns that were often imitated by other artists. Specht s accomplished style is fully illustrated in these enchanting watercolors of the domestic cat and dog and in many ways explain the artist s popularity. He manages to capture the playful yet mischievous nature of the animals, fully rendering the character and movement of each breed. Loca: 6.3WCC.9D.…