A Pokémon fan artist has honored the Dutch Golden Age of Art by redrawing Meowth in the style of one of its icons.
The aforementioned artist, who goes by the name @guli_cina on Twitter, recently featured Meowth artwork inspired by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s classic portrait, “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” male”. Like the painting’s subject, Meowth wears a blue top hat and large pearl earrings. This Pokémon also exhibits a wide, grin, a stylistic difference from the stoic expression shown by its counterpart. “Meowth with a pearl earring” is one of several examples of Meowth-centered fanart found on Twitter by artists.
The Artist Behind The Girl With The Pearl Earring
Born in 1632, Johannes Vermeer was one of the most famous artists of the Dutch Golden Age, which lasted from 1588 to 1672. Though relatively unknown during his lifetime, Vermeer was is now appreciated for his unique and delicate use of light in his paintings. This technique is evident in some of his most famous works, including “Woman with a Water Bottle” (1660-1662), “The Art of Painting (1666-1668), and of course “Miss girl wearing pearl earrings”. (1665). The second portrait is called “tronie”, which is distinguished from other genres by depicting exaggerated facial expressions.
Unlike Vermeer, Meowth is from Japan. Born from the nation’s internationally acclaimed Pokémon franchise, the iconic cat was introduced in the first generation of the series, starting with Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in 1996. This game was later released as Pokémon Red and Blue in North America. However, Meowth is perhaps best known for her role in the Pokémon anime, as a member of Team Rocket alongside Jessie and James. The iconic trio has been a staple of the series since Season 1, often plotting elaborate schemes to steal Ash’s Pikachu.
While Meowth and Team Rocket have existed in Pokémon from the start, fans had to bid farewell to the beloved group when Pokémon announced that Ash would be leaving the main series. Pokémon Horizons, which premiered in April, instead chronicles the adventures of two brand new trainers, Riko and Roy. Before Horizons was released, the fan community came together on social media to mourn. Kiana Mai, a Pokémon fan who works as a storyboard artist for Big City Greens, even created a poignant fan video in which Meowth, Jessie, and James say goodbye to Satoshi and Pikachu in tears.
Pokémon Journey and its sequels are available to stream on Netflix. Other seasons of the Pokémon anime are available via Prime Video.
Source: Twitter