Le Chat Noir Domed Magnets

Description

The images reproduced on these magnets are based on a sequence of drawings in artist Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen's (French, 1859–1923) famous book Des Chats (ca. 1898) entitled “Horrible fin d’un poisson rouge” (A Terrible End to a Goldfish). In them, a cat stares transfixedly at a goldfish in a bowl, circles the bowl repeatedly, hoists itself up to peer into the bowl, reaches a paw into the water, pitches head-first into the bowl, then dashes away, spooked and soaked, leaving the goldfish behind—high and dry.

1 each of 6 designs. Glass. Gift boxed. Box: 5 1/4''L x 4 7/8''W x 1 5/8''D; magnets: 1 1/2'' diam.

Art History

No artist has been more passionately fond of cats than Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French, 1859–1923), a Swiss-born graphic artist who lived in Paris. He drew cats throughout his long career with unvarying grace and skill, particularly those of his own neighborhood, Montmartre. Steinlen’s models were habitués of rooftops, gutters, cemeteries, and garbage bins, the pets of local artists, seamstresses, and concierges. Their antics are illustrated in the artist’s most famous book, Des Chats (Cats), a copy of which is in the Museum’s collection.