Balthus, a painter renowned for his enigmatic nature, often shrouded his artistic intentions in secrecy, making critical interpretation of his works, particularly paintings featuring young girls, a complex endeavor. His son Stanislas attempted to act as a spokesperson, suggesting the girls represented “emblematic archetypes” and symbols of timeless youth and spiritual growth. While this interpretation offers a lofty perspective, it arguably clashes with the palpable undercurrent of nostalgia, sensuality, and implied longing present in paintings like Girl with Cat. Another, perhaps more grounded, interpretation put forth was that Balthus emphasized the act of seeing itself within his art. However, this notion was unfortunately used to justify a somewhat esoteric state of unified perception between the viewer, the viewed, and the act of viewing, a concept that seems at odds with the visceral emotions evoked by his canvases.
Much of the scholarly discourse surrounding Girl with Cat delves into the symbolic role of the feline companion. Interpretations often oscillate between identifying the cat with Therese Blanchard, Balthus’s frequent model and the daughter of a neighbor, or even with Balthus himself. The latter theory gains traction when considering Balthus’s lifelong fascination with cats. As early as thirteen, he published a series of prints detailing the adventures of a cat named Mitsou. Further solidifying this self-identification is his 1935 self-portrait, H.M. the King of Cats, which unequivocally links the artist to the feline persona. Moreover, within Balthus’s artistic circle, writers frequently associated cats with sexuality. Georges Bataille’s provocative novel Histoire de l’oeil includes a chapter titled “L’Oeil de chat,” depicting a scene of youthful sexual exploration involving a cat’s milk dish, highlighting the contemporary cultural connection between felines and burgeoning sexuality. However, solely focusing on these biographical readings risks limiting our understanding of Balthus’s broader artistic project. It may overshadow the crucial aspect of how he engaged with and subtly subverted established traditions of representing sexuality in Western art history.
Alt text: Girl with Cat painting close-up, highlighting the enigmatic expression of the girl and the symbolic presence of the cat.
In the context of art history, Girl with Cat aligns itself with a genre of suggestive depictions of women that conventionally incorporate a small animal, typically a cat or a lapdog. Iconic examples include Jean Antoine Watteau’s Lady at Her Toilette from the early 18th century and Édouard Manet’s groundbreaking Olympia from 1865. Countless paintings throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries feature thinly veiled Venuses or simply elegant women accompanied by a pet – cradling it, being observed by it, or simply having it present. Contemporary viewers of these works often remarked, sometimes with thinly veiled humor, on the pet’s enviable proximity to the desirable female subject. Beyond mere companionship, unspoken but visually potent parallels were drawn between the animal and the female form itself. Historically, the animal, in this context, takes on a dual symbolism, connected both to the male artist or voyeur and to female sexuality.
The setting of Girl with Cat is deliberately constructed to evoke the quintessential painter’s studio. Therese reclines on a daybed, a recurring prop in several of Balthus’s paintings, establishing a sense of familiarity and staged intimacy. To the left, a chair back is barely discernible, partially obscured by a rococo-style blue fabric draped around its arm. Similar chairs appear in other Balthus works like The White Skirt and Therese, further anchoring the painting within his established visual vocabulary and studio environment. By carefully arranging these elements, Balthus creates a layered composition that invites multiple interpretations, prompting viewers to consider the complex interplay of symbolism, sexuality, and art historical references within Girl with Cat.
Alt text: Therese Blanchard, Balthus’s model, portrait capturing her youthful features and connection to the ‘Girl with Cat’ subject.
