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THROUGH THE EYES OF A LAUTREC RIVAL
A CAT OF MONTMARTRE, PARIS
Theophile Steinlen, Cat on a Balustrade, 1909, lithograph, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
When my cats aren’t happy, I’m not happy. Not because I care about their mood but because I know they’re just sitting there thinking up ways to get even.
Attributed to Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Swiss-French artist Theophile Steinlen (1859-1923) is, next to Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, most closely identified with the heyday of Montmartre and its artistic milieu of the late 19th century. His poster Tournee du Chat Noir is renowned, featuring an unforgettable image of a cat, the symbol of the Parisian neighborhood where he and Lautrec both resided. During his short life, Romantic era British writer Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) created a body of literary works that influenced generations of poets, while his wife was the author of the thriller Frankenstein.
To view Tournee du Chat Noir, click:
The above image is used solely for educational purposes and in the U.S. public domain.
