The bride and I just returned from a wonderful vacation in France where we were privileged to see both the Louvre and Orsay Museums. Of the two, the Orsay was much better--less crowded, could get closer to the paintings, more cats.
I ran this original post back in 2012, and in recognition of our trip to the Louvre this fall have chosen to trot it back out. This pair of paintings is pretty cool. That said, our time at the Louvre was rather limited and so I did not physically lay eyes on this painting. I guess I'll just have to go back there.
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Today's post is somewhat different. When I went to the net to snag an image of Perronneau's Girl With a Cat, I found another version, and will reproduce both here. I've encountered this several times previously, where apparently an artist will do multiple versions of a painting. Or we have an original, then perhaps a student paints a slightly different study. Regardless, it's fascinating, and with these paintings in question having been done some 250+ years ago, the truth of the matter will likely never be known.
So, first the Zuffi version called Young Girl With a Cat, held by the Louvre (although Zuffi omits the initial word "young"):
Image credit Wikimedia.org, Young Girl With a Cat, Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, 1757, pastel on parchment, 18" x 15", held by Musee du Louvre, Paris, France.
Zuffi's comment:
And the second version:
Image credit National Museum, A Girl With a Kitten, attributed to Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, 1745?, pastel on paper, 23" x 20", held by The National Gallery, London, England.
My comment: Same girl, same clothes, different poses, and most importantly, different cat. Whichever work came first, and whether both were by Perronneau, the first cat must have misbehaved and needed to be replaced by a better cat.
I think the second image must have been the first one painted, because that cat just looks bad. The cat in the first image actually looks like it is enjoying being held by the girl.
=========================
Today's post is somewhat different. When I went to the net to snag an image of Perronneau's Girl With a Cat, I found another version, and will reproduce both here. I've encountered this several times previously, where apparently an artist will do multiple versions of a painting. Or we have an original, then perhaps a student paints a slightly different study. Regardless, it's fascinating, and with these paintings in question having been done some 250+ years ago, the truth of the matter will likely never be known.
So, first the Zuffi version called Young Girl With a Cat, held by the Louvre (although Zuffi omits the initial word "young"):
Image credit Wikimedia.org, Young Girl With a Cat, Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, 1757, pastel on parchment, 18" x 15", held by Musee du Louvre, Paris, France.
And the kitty close-up:
Zuffi's comment:
In this adorable girl, and in the little gray cat that peeps out from a corner of the picture, Perronneau's gifts for intimacy and precise definition, along with the notable sense of color that characterize his work...are clearly visible.
And the second version:
My comment: Same girl, same clothes, different poses, and most importantly, different cat. Whichever work came first, and whether both were by Perronneau, the first cat must have misbehaved and needed to be replaced by a better cat.
I think the second image must have been the first one painted, because that cat just looks bad. The cat in the first image actually looks like it is enjoying being held by the girl.
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