Édouard Manet

Manet used the plate for this print the same way he would have used a page in one of his many sketchbooks: to record images to incorporate into his paintings and drawings. Cats—especially his own—were among Manet’s favorite subjects to sketch, and this print may well have been produced as a private exercise for his own enjoyment. The composition here is unusual, as Manet’s prints often had a finished appearance. This aesthetic may help explain why only a few impressions were made of the plate during the artist’s lifetime, with formal editions printed only after his death.