gauguin: the little adventures of "a little cat"

image in public domain, thanks wikipaintings.org

In late1888 Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) spent nine weeks in Arles with Van Gogh.  That period of time has become legend in art history, but this look at A Little Cat actually dates from earlier that year.  He was in Pont-Aven, northern France then; I bet it was a quieter time of that year, with ripe fruit and some sunshine making a fine golden foil for this black kitten.  By the way, this is a perfect example of Gauguin's Cloisonnism, a style in which strong colors are very clearly marked off in areas as you see in cloisonne jewelry.  I've said it before, I have never warmed up to Gauguin as a person (in fact I think he sounds like a bit of a tool).  But I do enjoy his "smaller" paintings like this, where he's only capturing the simple warmth of a moment.  That kitten is going to spring any second.  Good luck on your fruit hunt, cub.