Provenance
Possibly Pere Mañach, Paris, acquired as compensation from the artist, 1901 [New York 2006]. Paul Guillaume (1891–1934), Paris [Zervos 1932; Daix and Boudaille 1966]. Reinhardt Galleries, New York, by 1929 to at least 1930 [New York 1929; Providence, R.I. 1930]. Amy McCormick (Mrs. Robert R. McCormick, formerly Amie de Houle Adams, née Amie de Houle Irwin, May 15, 1874–Aug. 16, 1939) and Colonel Robert Rutherford McCormick (July 30, 1880–Apr. 1, 1955), Chicago, by July 1, 1935; given to the Art Institute, Nov. 12, 1942.
Accession Number
45259
Medium
Oil on cardboard
Dimensions
44.3 × 40.8 cm (17 7/16 × 16 1/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Amy McCormick Memorial Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Pablo Picassos Nude with Cats from 1901 is an oil painting on cardboard that dates from the beginning of the artists career in Paris, when he was absorbing the influences of Toulouse-Lautrec, Steinlen, and the Nabis while developing the personal style that would lead to the Blue Period. The nude woman and the cats that share her domestic space are subjects that Picasso would return to throughout his career, but this early treatment combines the sensuality of the female nude with the companionship of the cats in a composition that reflects the influence of the French Post-Impressionists and the decorative approach of the Nabis. The oil on cardboard medium, which provides a smooth, absorbent surface that allows the paint to dry quickly and retain its chromatic intensity, was a practical choice for an artist who was producing paintings rapidly and selling them for modest prices in the Paris art market of 1901. The year 1901 was Picassos first year in Paris, and the painting reflects the energy and ambition of a young artist who was absorbing every influence available to him while beginning to develop the distinctive approach to the human figure that would make him the most influential artist of the 20th century. The cats, which appear as both domestic companions and symbols of feminine sensuality, establish a theme of animal-human companionship that Picasso would explore throughout his career.
Cultural Impact
Picassos paintings of 1901 are important documents of the artists early development in Paris, and Nude with Cats demonstrates the combination of Post-Impressionist influence and personal vision that characterized his work at the beginning of his career. The painting influenced the development of modern figure painting and the broader tradition of representing the relationship between humans and animals.
Why It Matters
A 1901 oil on cardboard painting by Picasso depicting a nude woman with cats, combining Post-Impressionist influence with the sensuality and domestic companionship that characterize his early Paris period at the beginning of his career.
