Thompson
Danny van de Klee
I think we can underestimate what an important role animals have in our society and how they can provide companionship and joy especially to those living alone or infirm or coping with chronic illness. I am a strong believer that how we treat animals is a measure of our humanity and that we can learn many important things from them.
I love cats – I love the strange reciprocal relationship that humans can have with them. I respect their beauty, independence, sensuous and wild sides.
This picture is of Thompson who was my friend Louisa’s cat. Thompson was already over 20 in this picture and has sadly since passed away.
I met Lousia on my first day of our pre-medical course at University. We both now work as doctors in Bristol and it amazes me sometimes when I look at this picture just how far on life’s journey we have both come.
I had never really thought about the numerous roles of pets in our society, and this piece prompted me to do so. Considering the different ways that life may be changed by a pet, such as giving a sense of purpose to the owner as their guardian or providing wordless companionship is very powerful to me. I find it particularly interesting to note that this artwork was published in 2009, as it seems, even more, moving today given our reduced interaction with other human beings during the pandemic. I agree that “how we treat animals is a measure of our humanity and that we can learn many important things from them,” and find it fascinating to contrast how we strive to understand our pets’ emotions and other human beings’. Finally, I loved reading how looking at this picture prompts the artist to reflect upon how far they have come and those who were alongside them.