Reynard the Fox: The Disloyal Cat

Executed as an etching, the work displays van Everdingen’s skillful handling of line and tone. Soft brown washes render the fox’s fur, contrasting with the sharper, more alert eyes of the surrounding cats. The artist employs delicate cross‑hatching to suggest the texture of clothing and the glow of the halo, while the overall composition balances detailed figuration with a lighthearted narrative tone.

The print emerged during the height of Dutch printmaking, when artists frequently reproduced literary and mythological subjects for a growing market. Although the original owner is unknown, the piece has been catalogued in several 19th‑century collections of Dutch prints and now resides in a public institution, where it is displayed alongside other animal-themed works from the same period.