When you see these digital paintings of cats dressed up in the attire of royalty and noblemen, you might think that artist Eldar Zakirov is just another quirky cat-lover. However, Zakirov was actually commissioned to do these pieces for the Russian State Hermitage Museum's magazine. You see, the Hermitage Museum has a long history with cats, dating back to the 18th century, when one of the buildings that houses the museum, the Winter Palace, was completed. Today, cats still roam the basements of the museum complex, controlling the rodent population in the buildings. These little critters are treated like royalty by museum staff and there's even an annual day set aside to honor these cats. These oil-painting style pieces of digital art don't just depict random cats, but are actual portraits of some of the Hermitage Museum's cats. Let's take a look!
Website: Eldar Zakirov on DeviantArt
These images are stunning! Zakirov has made each cat look regal, while retaining his own personality.