Still Life with Cat 1894 - 1903

Paul Gauguin created this still life with cat using watercolors on paper. The image presents a vase filled with flowers, and a cat in the foreground. It is a familiar composition, similar to what one might find in any bourgeois home, yet Gauguin was a radical artist who challenged the norms of late 19th-century French society. He famously abandoned Europe for Tahiti in search of a more authentic and less corrupted way of life. While in France, he was associated with a group of artists known as the Pont-Aven School, who rejected academic painting in favor of more personal and expressive styles. This watercolor, with its loose brushstrokes and unconventional color combinations, reflects that artistic freedom. To understand Gauguin's place in art history, we can consult his letters, the writings of contemporary critics, and records of the art market. These help us see how his work challenged the established institutions of art and paved the way for future generations of avant-garde artists. Art is so often a reflection of the social and intellectual climate in which it was created.