Édouard Manet 
"Le Chat et les Fleurs" 
(The Cat and the Flowers)
 
This art is:
NEW- never before framed 
Hand Pulled Posthumous Etching
Signature: It is signed in the plate (meaning the signature is part of the etched image).
Context: The original work was featured in the deluxe edition of the 1870 book Les Chats (The Cats) by Jules-François-Félix Husson, who wrote under the pseudonym Champfleury
Composition and Style:The image depicts a cat rubbing against a claw-footed pot filled with flowers on a wooden ledge. An iron railing is visible in the background.The composition shows Japanese influence, which was a significant trend at the time. This is evident in the shallow, flat perspective and the way the cat's body is truncated by the edge of the composition.
Custom framed in an ornate Carved gold wood frame
Double matted in black & gold
Framed Size: 20" x 19"
Image Size: 5" x 8"
Created around 1869, the orginal print was notably included in the second edition of the book Les Chats by Champfleury in 1870. Manet used a combination of etching and aquatint techniques to achieve tonal variations and textures. The print includes a plate signatureby Manet in the plate in the lower left. 
Ready to hang hardware included
Interested in different framing? Contact us!
Check out our store for other Rembrandt images to make a grouping or a pair.
Framed in the USA
 
 Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883)
Édouard Manet was a pivotal French painter (1832–1883) who acted as a link between Realism and Impressionism, and his biography connects to Le Chat et les Fleurs through several specific influences and relationship.
Key Biographical Connections
Modernity and Everyday Life: Manet was one of the first artists to focus on painting modern life and everyday scenes in 19th-century Paris. The simple subject of a cat by a pot of flowers reflects this interest in capturing commonplace scenarios.
Love for Cats: Manet was a known cat lover, and his own cat, Zizi, was likely the model for some of his cat depictions. He included cats in other works as well, most famously the controversial Olympia (1863), where a black cat is included at the foot of the bed.
Japonisme Influence: Manet was an early enthusiast of Japanese art and collected Japanese prints and decorative items. This etching strongly displays the influence of the Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock style in its:
Flattened Perspective: The composition uses a shallow, flat space, a characteristic of Japanese prints, which allowed other details like the flowers to be accentuated.
Cropped Composition: The way the cat's body is cut off by the edge of the frame is another technique borrowed from Japanese art.
Use of Lines: Like the Japanese artist Hokusai, Manet used precise and efficient lines to capture the forms of the cats.
Association with Writers: Manet was a friend of the influential poet Charles Baudelaire and the writer Émile Zola. This particular print was commissioned by another cat-loving writer and art critic, Jules-François-Félix Husson (pseudonym Champfleury), to be included in his 1870 book titled Les Chats (The Cats).
Technique Innovation: While known primarily for his bold, loose brushwork in painting, Manet also produced about a hundred etchings and lithographs. This print combines etching and aquatint to achieve tonal variations and demonstrates his mastery of graphic arts.