“Study of a Cat”
“Study of a Cat” is an oil on canvas painting by the French Post-Impressionism artist, Suzanne Valadon, from 1918. Valadon was an avid cat lover. She created a number of portraits that included or prominently featured cats. Raminou, one of her beloved pets, was a particularly favorite subject.
Valadon was a well-known model who worked for famous artists in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris, France. She modeled for over ten years for many artists including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Théophile Steinlen, and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes.
While modeling, she was able to pick up the techniques of various artists who gladly trained her. In 1894, Valadon became the first woman artist ever to be admitted into the exhibitions of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. By 1896, although receiving no formal training, Valadon was making enough money from her art that she was able to become a full-time artist herself.
“Study of a Cat” is currently in a private collection.
For more on Suzanne Valadon, please visit her short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
