Henri Matisse and cats

Henri Matisse (1869-1954, French) is one of my most favorite artists. So obliviously I was curious about Henri Matisse and cats – did he like them? Did he love them? Did he have cats?

Matisse with his cat Minouche, Nice 1940’s

Matisse did indeed have cats. In fact, he was especially fond of his two cats Minouche and Coussi, and a black cat named la Puce, translated means the flea.

girl with a black cat 1910 henri matisse was his daughter Marguerite

OK, so did he ever paint them?
This painting is called Girl with a Black Cat,  it was painted in 1910. The girl is Matisse’s daughter, Marguerite.

Le chat aux poissons rouges (the cat with red fish) 1914, Henri Matisse

Blue Cat, 1940’s. by Henri Matisse

The fact that Henri Matisse loved cats makes me love him even more. He was someone who had a unique eye, a creative imagination and a nature sensitive enough to appreciate cats.
Henri Matisse loved cats.