Daily Newsletter How Manet transformed the misunderstood feline into an emblem of independent thinking; plus, Gay Halloween memes galore!

October 30, 2026 — 3 min read

Centuries of superstition may be to blame for black cats facing among the lowest adoption outcomes at shelters across the US. But these mysterious, furry angels have shed at least part of their witchy stereotype in the modern era — thanks largely to 19th-century French artists, argues Rebecca Rebecca Schiffman, Hyperallergic associate editor. According to Schiffman, who makes a case for the black cat as a modern icon in art history in an essay perfectly timed for Hallows' Eve, painters such as Édouard Manet helped dark-furred felines come to symbolize a Belle Époque “appetite for provocation” and “refusal to be domesticated.”

On a related note, a big, heartfelt thanks to all who joined us at Hyperallergic ’s Halloween party last night — you blew us all away with your commitment to the art costumes.…