Théophile Steinlen, "The Bad Adventures of the Black Cat", 1898, antique print from "Cats"
A strange divine punishment befalls a greedy black cat.
Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen is a late 19th century French painter who left behind so many cat works that he is known as the "painter of cats." This work, "The Naughty Adventure of the Black Cat (La Gourmandise punie)," is included in the silent cat cartoon collection "Cats - Pictures without Words (Des Chats - Images sans paroles)," published in 1898.
The story begins with a black cat wanting a toy rocking horse pulled by a girl, and forcibly swallowing it. However, his greed gets him caught in the tree, and his escape fails. In the end, he is severely scolded by the girl, which ends in a somewhat allegorical way.
The title "La Gourmandise punie" literally means "the punishment for the glutton." The work highlights Steinlen's unique humor in anthropomorphizing cats and drawing them with rich expressions, as well as his skill in creating continuous, dynamic images.
The "Cats" series, which includes this work, is a reprint of Steinlen's serialized comic strips that were published at the Montmartre cabaret "Le Chat Noir," and conveys to the present day the intimate connection between Belle Époque popular culture and cats.
For more information about Steinlen and "Cats," please see the first professional art book in Japan, "Black Cat Manga Artist Steinlen" (now on sale at bookstores and online bookstores nationwide). Please enjoy it as well.
Information
Artist: Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen
Title: The Bad Adventure of the Black Cat (La Gourmandise punie)
Year of production: 1898
Condition: Antique print, 1 piece
Size: Approx. 39 x 29 cm
Artist / Title: Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen / La Gourmandise punie (Antique Print, 1898)
*The frame in the image is for reference only. Please contact us regarding framing.
Related links
If you would like to know more about the works, please visit Ribo Antiques' special page (separate site).
Black Cat and Steinlan (another site)
The first art book in Japan to feature Steinlen's cats, "Steinlen, the Black Cat Cartoonist," is also on sale now!
Black cat cartoonist Stanlan
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--All genuine, all original.
This work is an original antique print made over 100 years ago.
All works sold at Rivoli Antiques are genuine works of artistic value that were printed at the time, and are not later reproductions or copies.
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This work is usually provided unframed so that you can enjoy the original charm of the work as it is, taking into consideration the preservation of the paper and its use as a collection.
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About the condition
This work is an original antique print created over 100 years ago.
All works sold by Rivoli Antiques are genuine pieces of artistic value printed at the time, and are not later reproductions or copies.
Due to their nature, antique prints rarely come with individual certificates of authenticity like contemporary works.
Therefore, where you buy and who is in charge of selecting the works are of utmost importance.
At Rivoli Antiques, we carefully select our items based on the trust we have built through many years of collaboration with museums and experts.
We only introduce works that you can safely add to your collection.
Natural fading and stains may appear over time, but these are also proof of the era the piece has passed through and are elements that convey the texture of the materials and techniques used to create it.
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