Marie Paulette Lagosse

The Cat - Pen on Paper by Marie Paulette Lagosse - 1970s

1970s

The Cat is an original drawing in pen on ivory-colored paper, realized by Marie Paulette Lagosse (1921-1996). Hand-signed on the lower right in pen. The state of preservation of th...

The Cat is an original drawing in pen on ivory-colored paper, realized by Marie Paulette Lagosse (1921-1996). Hand-signed on the lower right in pen. with colors on the rear. The st...

A mid-century ink painting of a cat by French artist Marie Paulette Lagosse (1921-1996) circa 1969 and its antique stucco frame. The picture is protecte...

Tsuguharu Foujita (also known as Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita) was born in Tokyo, Japan, on November 27, 1886, to an upper-class family. From an early age, Tsuguharu learned French and had ambitions to be a successful artist in Europe. In 1913 he moved to Paris, where he spent the majority of his life and cultivated an artistic circle that included Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Amedeo Modigliani in the creative and bustling Montparnasse district. Tsuguharu Foujita thrived in Paris early on, selling out his debut solo exhibition of 110 pieces on the first day. In Paris, he became known for hosting luxurious parties with his creative friends and models, who served as his muses. The extravagant lifestyle caught up with him when he was faced with a bill he could not pay and had to leave Paris. After a brief return to Tokyo at the start of World War II, Foujita traveled to the United States before eventually moving back to Paris for good. He became a French citizen in 1955 and even converted to Catholicism with the baptismal name of Léonard in 1959. Tsuguharu Foujita’s love of cats was clearly apparent from his vast collection of cat drawings and prints. He loved that they could be both wild and domestic. But it wasn’t just Foujita who had a passion for cats. Cats are a symbol in Japanese art and culture of good luck and fortune. It’s no surprise that Foujita is just one of many Japanese cat portrait artists throughout history. Due in part to the desirability of Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita cat...