Imagine a cat wandering innocently through a garden when she suddenly comes upon a kaleidoscope of butterflies flitting above. What do you think her next move is!? Travel back in time to 19th-century China for a quick minute to take a closer look at a charming ink painting by Chinese artist Xū Gǔ. You’ll learn about the “sketching ideas” style of painting, which is just like making a quick doodle in a sketchbook!

Main image:

Cat and Butterfly, Xū Gǔ, hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, 19th century, China. Metropolitan Museum of Art.