1939 Le chat Е loiseau Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1931-1942

The composition presents a feline figure engaged in pursuit of a bird. The artist has employed a flattened perspective and simplified forms characteristic of a Cubist approach. The cat dominates the foreground; its body is rendered in shades of ochre and brown, with dark stripes suggesting fur pattern. Its facial features are stylized – large, circular eyes convey an almost unsettling intensity, while the open mouth reveals sharp teeth, emphasizing the predatory nature of the scene.
The bird, positioned closer to the viewer, appears trapped within the cat’s grasp. It is depicted in darker tones, primarily black and green, with feathers rendered as angular shapes. The posture of the bird suggests a desperate struggle for freedom. A sense of immediacy and violence permeates the interaction between the two creatures.
The background is deliberately ambiguous. A pale, indistinct landscape stretches behind the figures, offering little contextual information. This lack of depth contributes to the feeling that the scene exists in an isolated, symbolic space. The ground beneath the animals appears as a horizontal band of reddish-brown, providing a minimal sense of grounding.
Beyond the literal depiction of predator and prey, the painting seems to explore themes of conflict and vulnerability. The cat’s aggressive posture and the birds evident distress suggest a power dynamic at play. The simplified forms and distorted perspective contribute to an emotional intensity that transcends a simple narrative of hunting. There is a sense of underlying tension and perhaps even a commentary on the fragility of existence, where survival often depends on dominance or evasion. The color palette, dominated by earthy tones punctuated by darker shades, reinforces this feeling of unease and primal struggle.