Description
A black-and-white cat stands beside a balcony rail beside dense flowering plants. The animal occupies the left and center, while larger flowers and foliage fill the right, giving the small creature a richly worked setting. Manet’s illustration for Champfleury’s book The Cats brings animal and vegetation into close graphic contact rather than presenting an isolated feline portrait.
Dated 1869, the work combines etching and aquatint in brown ink on tan wove paper. This impression represents the final of three states in the third edition, preserving a particular printed version of the design. The meeting of animal and flowers gives the scene a small but varied visual world. Manet’s illustration allows a familiar subject to remain expressive through its arrangement, connecting a literary publication with an image that also rewards attention on its own.
Read our guide to giclée prints, browse more Édouard Manet prints, or explore Cats.
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