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Prowling Cat; verso: Male Nude Figure Study and Reclining Cat Study
Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French (born in Switzerland), 1859–1923)
undated
Medium/Technique
Pastel (recto) and black chalk (verso) on brown wove paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 65 x 50 cm (25 9/16 x 19 11/16 in. )
Credit Line
Harriet Otis Cruft Fund
Accession Number67.21
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope, Prints and Drawings
ClassificationsDrawings
For Steinlen, the curvilinear form of the cat was the animal equivalent to the art nouveau lily. As well as the form and line, Steinlen could capture the way of the cat - its mood and motion - through the flick of a tail or watchful stare.
InscriptionsIn black chalk, l.r.: Steinlen
ProvenanceThe artist; by descent to his daughter, Madame Pierre Roger Desormière, Paris; 1967, sold by Madame Pierre Roger Desormière to the MFA for Fr. 7,500. (Accession Date: January 11, 1967)